Explorer’s Blog 18: A New Frontier, Named by Accident
During the interviews I’ve been conducting with leaders of international teams, the vast majority of participants identified common pain points. These themes have become the 4 common challenges of global leadership that formed the basis of my research results.
And -
There was one leader, a singular outlier, whose unique answer has stuck in my brain this entire time.
When asked, “what is the biggest challenge you face in leading a global team,” he didn’t mention distance, trust, time zones or alignment. His horizon was in the future - not a current problem, but one he knew to be approaching fast.
How do I manage a team made up of humans and AI agents? How do I maintain the consistency, reliability, communication, and quality that our clients expect, when I am responsible for the output of people and bots?
His question wasn't, "how do I use AI." It ran deeper: "how do I build and lead a team where headcount and capability are no longer the same variable." "There will be new tensions between the human and the agentic workforce, who gets to do what, what is fun, what is not." And he named the exhaustion of "continuously reinventing yourself", learning new skills and abilities.
He also anticipates new tensions developing between humans and agents as collaboration increases. How will people manage this? We need new management techniques to think across these new hybrid workforces.
None of this was the focus of my research. It was an added conversation toward the end of our interview. But it is something I cannot stop thinking about.
What management techniques will help leaders effectively manage this frontier, the new hybrid team of human + agent?
Recognizing the irony herein, I decided to ask AI to consider how this fits into coaching. Specifically, how might a leader in the position of managing such a hybrid team be advised to make the most of their talent mix?
Several hours later, after a rich exchange, my thinking has brought me back to what makes us fundamentally human.
Let’s start with the foundational understanding - per Staci Haines’s work and others - that all humans need three things - safety, belonging, and dignity. The volatility of recent years and certainly the AI evolution we’re experiencing threaten all three of these needs.
My take on this is that what is shifting in the wake of the disruption to these foundational human needs, is that trust, alignment and relevance can no longer be assumed.
Trust - With the named tension between people and agents and increasing anxiety over the role and value that each brings, trust can no longer be assumed. Indeed, research shows that trust levels globally are at an all time low, and falling. In this environment, trust becomes a competitive advantage for those leaders who can get it right.
Alignment - Who is responsible for what? Are we working toward the same goals? Are we aligned on a shared definition of what ‘good’ looks like? How do we know? When managing hybrid teams, alignment has to be built with intention.
Relevance - A 3-5 year strategic plan doesn't hold up the way it used to. Researchers at Kellogg and Harvard recently put a number on why: the half-life of a technical skill has dropped from about a decade in the 1980s to roughly four years today, and could fall below two soon. Plans and skills are going stale faster than most leaders can rebuild them. The pace needed to stay competitive, to stay relevant, is increasing. This might be the ultimate disruption.
When leaders fail to manage these shifts effectively, when they are not capable or equipped to handle change, uncertainty, volatility, we see the pain points identified in my research arise.
Distance Problem - Teams spread across distance miss the informal, accidental, relationship-building moments that foster innovation, build trust and inform how information flows and decisions are made. Technology does not replace proximity.
Alignment Gap - Misalignment is measurably tied to disengagement and slower, more expensive decision-making. Leaders need to align local and global priorities across silos - what works in one market doesn’t necessarily work in another.
Trust Deficit - Trust is the hardest thing to build across distance and difference, and it’s the easiest thing to lose. Globally, trust is already declining and reputation is an increasing share of enterprise value.
Leadership Tax - Under all of this is exhaustion, not incompetence, as leaders are burdened by the need to manage unprecedented complexity and capacity, for themselves and for their teams.
This is what it looks like, feels like when trust, alignment and relevance erode.
And so - how can leaders more effectively manage these shifts? What management techniques will help leaders effectively manage this frontier, the new hybrid team of human + agent?
The same study referenced above found something leaders can use. People with strong foundational skills - e.g. communication, adaptability, complex problem-solving - learn faster, adjust better when their industry shifts, and outperform others who have deep technical expertise but little else. Specialized knowledge expires. What doesn't is a leader's capacity to keep learning, connecting, and adapting.
Here, my Exploration Leadership(SM) H.A.B.I.T.s framework shines. It is built exactly for this, for the deeper part of leadership that doesn’t expire.
Humility - Deepen sense of self to lead with confidence & authenticity
Aspiration - Examine where you are, meet ambiguity with hope
Bravery - Unlock a bolder you, find comfort in discomfort
Inquiry - Expand possibilities with curiosity over judgement
Transformation - Embrace a learner’s mindset for greater mental agility
This framework works to build trust, alignment, and relevance deliberately rather than assuming them, so the pain points above don't take hold.
What I’m sharing here is early thinking, a theory taking shape, not a program or a proclamation. I’m very curious about your thoughts and where we go from here. Where have you felt trust, alignment, or relevance slip in the last year, whether because of AI or because the ground just moved?
⭐️ I am deeply invested in you being the best leader you can be, and I partner with clients on three things:
✅ Bringing calm to the chaos
✅ Having clarity in decision making
✅ Maintaining confidence in their leadership
That's what you get when you work with me — ✨ calm, clarity, and confidence. Interested? Curious? Know someone who might benefit? Let's explore, together.
Schedule a free introductory call: https://calendly.com/mcl_coach/30min
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