From the top, the culture can look strong. One level down, the managers holding it together are running on empty—and most of them aren't telling you. Drawing on 25 years in those rooms and the 2025 data, Tara Powers walks through four things about your management layer that are impossible to ignore in the AI era: what your managers aren't saying, how AI just raised the stakes on trust, the human advantage AI can't replicate, and what the gap is already costing you. The through-line is simple. AI isn't your biggest risk. An under-supported management layer is—and it's the most fixable problem on your desk.

Managers aren’t disengaged — they’re overwhelmed. As AI accelerates and workplace expectations rise, managers are carrying pressure from above, emotion from below, and constant change all around them. Research from Gallup shows managers experience higher burnout than individual contributors and account for up to 70% of team engagement variance, placing enormous responsibility on people who often feel under-supported. This article explores why adding more initiatives isn’t the answer and why grounded, practical leadership support — focused on trust, clarity, conflict, and psychological safety — matters more than ever.

Managers aren’t disengaged — they’re overwhelmed. As AI accelerates and workplace expectations rise, managers are carrying pressure from above, emotion from below, and constant change all around them. Research from Gallup shows managers experience higher burnout than individual contributors and account for up to 70% of team engagement variance, placing enormous responsibility on people who often feel under-supported. This article explores why adding more initiatives isn’t the answer and why grounded, practical leadership support — focused on trust, clarity, conflict, and psychological safety — matters more than ever.