AI has exposed the illusion of work

There’s a scene in Office Space where Peter sits across from two consultants during a company downsizing. They ask him, “What would you say you do here?” He hesitates, smirks, and admits he only works about 15 minutes a week. The rest of the time, he’s pretending. It was comedy in 1999. It’s confession now.

That question has come back to us.

For years, we filled our calendars, stayed visible, and kept the machine moving. Our worth was measured in hours, output, and presence. It had to be. Humans were the system, and the system required us to keep it running. We didn’t question it because that was how things got done.

AI has changed that.

It can now do many of the things we once did to keep things moving: the summaries, the reports, the follow-ups, the updates, the spreadsheets. It can organize, calculate, write, and execute at a pace we can’t match.

That realization feels strange at first, but it’s also freeing.

Now we get to hand that part over. We can give the robotic work to the robots and return to the human work. The work of thinking, deciding, designing, and connecting.

So what does that look like?

For one, it means our conversations are changing. When the noise quiets, the meetings sound different. There’s more space to ask better questions. We can finally talk about what matters: What is the business really trying to accomplish? What’s next? What do we need to build the product, craft the strategy, organize the team, and align around purpose?

It’s fantastic, really.

Because when people stop being buried in repetitive work, they start showing up differently. They bring curiosity. They tell the truth. They collaborate in new ways. I’m hearing it everywhere — in companies that are deep into their AI transformation and in those that are just starting. The tone is changing. The conversations are more human.

We’re still in the waiting room of this transition. Some are pacing the floor, some are seated patiently, some are already being called in. Wherever a company sits on that curve, the shift has begun.

Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends report describes this moment as a “readiness gap.” Most leaders recognize that AI and technology will transform their organizations in the coming years, yet few say they feel prepared to lead their people through that change. The tools are ready. The humans are still catching up.

For leaders, this is the moment to adjust the focus. The work still needs watching, but the focus of that attention is different. It’s no longer about overseeing tasks; it’s about overseeing direction. How we design. How we execute. How we build and with whom. Leadership now is about being intentional and accountable for how work is created, not just how it is completed.

Many leaders are rebuilding, or at least redesigning, how they lead. The language is changing. The tone is shifting. It’s not a different language, but it has a new accent. And those who thrive in this era will be the ones who can translate it.

They’ll know how to take complexity and turn it into clarity. They’ll bring forward a sharper vision, a stronger purpose, and a deeper ability to communicate the “why.” They’ll be what I call “full-stack leaders”: people who can support the front, the back, and the middle layer. They understand product, people, and process, and they move fluidly across them all.

AI has taken the repetitive pieces off our plates and has given us back the chance to think, create, and build with intention. It gave us room to lead.

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