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Over the past few years, the corporate world has been reshaped by a quiet revolution: the rise of “unbossing.” Companies like Dell, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have aggressively flattened their organizational structures, stripping away layers of middle management to boost agility and efficiency. According to Gartner, by 2026, 20% of organizations will leverage AI to eliminate more than half of their current middle management roles, fundamentally reshaping their hierarchies. A 2025 Korn Ferry Workforce survey underscores this shift, with 41% of employees reporting that their companies have already reduced managerial layers. As Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, has warned, AI could lead to a “white-collar massacre” if companies fail to adapt thoughtfully. And indeed, AI does present an unprecedented opportunity to deliver efficiency gains by automating many traditional middle management functionsfrom coordination and scheduling to data analysis and performance monitoring. Companies that fail to capture these efficiencies risk becoming bloated and uncompetitive in an increasingly lean marketplace. Yet rushing to gut the middle management layer without careful consideration is equally dangerous. As I explored in a previous article, overzealous workforce reductions can lead to devastating losses of institutional knowledge and the elimination of crucial career development pathways. The challenge isnt whether to use AI to streamline managementits how to do so intelligently. Reframing the Role of Middle Management To navigate this transformation effectively, companies must shift their perspective from simply eliminating managerial layers to strategically reimagining their purpose. Middle managers have long served as the backbone of organizations, coordinating teams, overseeing operations, and ensuring accountability. Many of these tasksscheduling, data analysis, approvals, and auditsare precisely where AI either already excels or will excel once agentic AI is fully implemented. These systems can automate repetitive processes, monitor performance in real time, and provide data-driven insights with a speed and accuracy that humans simply cannot match. This presents a clear opportunity for efficiency gains. By offloading these routine functions to AI, organizations can reduce costs and accelerate decision-making. However, this automation doesnt eliminate the need for human managementit transforms it. Notably, the evolved middle management role will increasingly blur traditional boundaries with HR functions, as managers become more deeply involved in talent development, cultural transformation, and employee well-being. Three key functions will define the future of middle management: Orchestrators of AI-Human Collaboration: As AI agents become integral to business operations, managers will need to master the art of orchestrating hybrid teams. This involves not only understanding how AI tools function but also knowing how to integrate them seamlessly with human efforts. For example, a manager might use AI to analyze project data and identify bottlenecks, then work with their team to devise the kind of creative solutions that AI cannot generate on its own. This shift requires technical fluency and a strategic mindset to ensure that AI enhances, rather than overshadows, human contributions. Agents of Change: AI is a disruptive force, upending traditional business models and workflows at an unprecedented pace. Middle managers must become change agents, guiding their organizations through this transformation. This means anticipating disruptions, redesigning processes to incorporate AI, and fostering a culture of adaptability and resilience that motivates their teams to embrace change rather than fear it. Coaches for a New Era: The rapid integration of AI is reshaping the skills employees need to succeed. Middle managers will play a pivotal role as coaches, helping their teams navigate this new reality and access the resources they need. This will involve mentoring employees through the reskilling process, whether that involves learning how to use AI tools or developing soft skills like critical thinking and emotional intelligence. In a world in which job roles are constantly evolving, this coaching function will be essential for maintaining morale and productivity. A Strategic Road Map for Transformation To successfully integrate AI while redefining middle management, companies must take deliberate, strategic actions. Here are four key steps to guide this process: 1. Reskill Middle Managers for an AI-Driven World: Companies must equip managers with the tools they need to thrive in an AI-augmented workplace. This includes training in AI literacy, change management, and collaborative leadership. For example, programs could teach managers how to use AI-powered analytics to make data-driven decisions or how to lead hybrid teams effectively. First Step: AI Workflow Analysis. Tomorrow, pick one recurring managerial tasksuch as status reportingand break it into sub-steps, tagging each as Automate, Augment, or Human-Only. Capture a before/after flow, choose one AI tool to test, and run a one-week experiment based on that redesign. 2. Foster AI Literacy Across the Organization: AI is not just a tool for tech teamsits a transformative force that affects every function, from marketing to HR to operations. To maximize its impact, companies must ensure that employees understand how to leverage AI in their daily work. This could involve workshops on using AI tools for tasks like data analysis or customer engagement, as well as broader education about the strategic implications of AI. First Step: Create an AI Use Log. Create a shared document with three columnsTask, Tool/Prompt, Result/Riskand ask each team member to add one real-world example by end of day. By tomorrow night youll have a living inventory of use cases that can serve as a start-point for an AI literacy program. 3. Redefine Hiring and Promotion Criteria: Traditional metrics for managerial success, such as years of experience or the size of a managers team, are becoming outdated. Instead, companies should prioritize skills like adaptability, AI fluency, and the ability to lead through ambiguity. For example, when hiring or promoting managers, organizations might assess a candidates ability to integrate AI tools into workflows or their track record of leading change initiatives. First Step: Adapt Your Interview Questions. Add two questions to your next interview or promotion panel: Show a process youve redesigned with AI. What stayed human? and How do you verify outputs and handle errors? This will bring out real-world fluency, judgment, and accountability without overhauling the whole interview process. 4. Map and Optimize Workflows: To fully harness AIs potential, companies must conduct a thorough audit of their workflows to identify where AI can add value and where human judgment remains critical. This involves mapping out existing processes, pinpointing inefficiencies, and determining how AI can streamline operations. For instance, a company might use AI to automate routine approvals in its supply chain while relying on managers to negotiate strategic partnerships. First Step: Set Decision Rights. For any workflow touched by AI, draft a mini-RACI that identifies who approves, who reviews, and which decisions must stay human-in-the-loop. Publish it to the team tomorrow so guardrails are explicit. The Power of Thoughtful Transformation The rise of AI represents both an imperative and an opportunity for organizational transformation. Yes, companies should embrace the efficiency gains that come from automating traditional middle management functionsthe competitive landscape demands it. But those who approach this transformation thoughtfully, preserving crucial knowledge and career pathways while reimagining the managers role, will build organizations that are not just leaner but genuinely smarter. The choice isnt between humans and machinesits between thoughtful transformation and reckless disruption. Organizations that recognize this distinction and act accordingly wont just survive the coming changes; theyll help define what the future of work looks like.
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E-Commerce
A friend once asked me how I could be a marketing executive, a fragrance influencer with over 400,000 followers, and a paid public speaker all at once. Dont those things live in different worlds? she asked. My answer was simple: Its the only way to survive. In todays career landscape, having just one title, one path, or one platform isnt safeits risky. We have all heard the clarion call about AI rapidly transforming the workforce. Its no longer just about skill; its about diversifying and leaning into your identity as your moat. What were living through is a strategic career inflection pointa moment where the rules of the game change so dramatically that the old playbook becomes obsolete. When I was earning my MBA at Stanford a decade ago, one of my favorite classes was called Insight to Outcome taught by Thomas S. Wurster. To this day I think about the concept of strategic dissonance, as outlined by Michael Tushman, Charles OReilly, and Andy Grove in their legendary paper from 30 years ago, which I read as part of the class. This wisdom from 1996 is still applicable today. In a business context, strategic dissonance is what happens when a companys actions no longer reflect the changing external environmenteven if they keep doing what once worked. When applied to careers, I think of it as career dissonance: when what were doing day-to-day doesnt get us to the life we actually want because the rules have changed. And right now, AI is the change that is accelerating that dissonance. People are talking about AI replacing jobs and we need to focus on what to do next in a strategic way. According to McKinsey, nearly 12 million U.S. workers may need to change occupations by 2030 due to AI and automation. Thats not hypothetical. Thats an inflection point. What to do So how do we not crumble? We need to understand inflection points. In class at Stanford I remember learning that at every strategic inflection point, three things happen: 1. The degree of difficulty of evolving increases. Getting to your new goal gets harder. The path becomes steeper. 2. Only a few strategic actions move the needle. Not everything will work. You have to make sharper bets. Focus on what matters. 3. Resources are even more constrained. You need to think about more efficient ways to use your time and energy. If you keep doing everything the way you used to, youll burn out. Yes, these challenges feel uncomfortable. But theyre also invitationsto focus, experiment, and grow. So what do you do in this moment of massive shift in the workplace? These are the three things Ive found that worked for me and people I admire to address the challenges brought on by the advent of this specific career inflection point. 1. Use the tools to become more of yourself Instead of fearing AI, leverage it to ease the degree of difficulty of building your “portfolio” career. This way you can address the first challenges of strategic inflection points. When LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude dropped, I didnt use them to replace my voiceI used them to refine it. I used AI to launch my podcast (Not Just One Thing), structure my content, and sharpen my public speaking. People say AI tools kill creativity. In my case, these tools didnt diminish me. They revealed more of me. 2. Build your calendar like its your portfolio and buy back your time Each strategic inflection point forces you to get sharper about where your energy goes. And the good news is, constraint breeds clarity. Only a few things are going to move you forward. People get stuck trying to master prompt engineering by never starting. You are better off testing, measuring, and iterating. You dont need to master every promptjust experiment out loud. Thats how you find the next version of you. When you find out whats working, focus more on that. This helps you address the second and third challenges of strategic inflection points. You will no longer need to waste all your energy on low-impact actions. Use AI to automate your logistics. Reclaim that hour to work on your side project. Book time to journal, plan, or build a content system. According to a RescueTime study, the average knowledge worker spends just 2 hours and 48 minutes per day on productive tasks. That means youre not just fighting burnoutyoure fighting wasted energy. In my case, I used tools to streamline my work and double down on my fragrance content. I tested ideas, launched small, and iterated fast. You can build a micro business, pitch yourself for speaking, or start developing a productall with the tools already at your fingertips. 3. Make your story your competitive advantage One of the most powerful ideas from the strategic dissonance paper was that most companies keep expanding their existing competencies instead of evolving with the market. The same is true in our careers. We double down on what weve already done, instead of asking what will matter next. Whats the best way to do this? Whats your everlasting competitive advantage? Your real edge in this new world isnt technical. Its personal. Your personal story. I was born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa. I started out in accounting, but I always knew I wanted to be a creator. I made YouTube videos. Then pivoted into tech. I joined musical.ly, which became TikTok, and spent years helping creators find their voice. I was using my own passion of wanting to be a creator and my analytical skills from my time as an accountant. This use of my authentic story allows me to stand out and build a career. People call me multi-hyphenate. I just think of it as an integrated portfolio career. In a world built for sameness, difference is your power. I learned that from another class at Stanford that was taught by Allison Kluger and Tyra Banks. Your background is your moat. Its the thing that no prompt can generate, and no algorithm can replace. In this new world, your hybrid path isnt a hurdle, its your blueprint to success. We are not at the end of work as many peope fear. Were at the beginning of becoming. As Maya Watson said on an episode of my podcast, Not Just One Thing: Its not about what you do. Its about who youre becoming. Thats the work. Shes right. And youre going to need more than one title to get there. Being multi-hyphenate isnt indulgentits how you stay employed, inspired, and in motion. The people who will thrive are the ones who use the tools, manage their time like a portfolio, and tell the truth about who they really are. Thats how we build careers that are dynamic, fulfilling, and truly human.
Category:
E-Commerce
Maybe you’ve noticed it while driving down the road. The chrome logos. The sleek sans serif fonts. It can be hard to tell one electric vehicle brand from another. Theres a reason EV brands like Tesla, Rivian, BYD, Neta, Jaguar, and Zeekr have become a sea of sameness, and it all comes down to a single influence: Many of todays most technologically advanced cars owe their aesthetic to a decades-old vision of the future. Most EV brands use a font that includes cutouts, slashes, or entire missing segments. This is a font style called stenciling, and if it looks inherently futuristic, thats because its most often used in science fiction media. It’s shorthand for the future, says Stephen Coles, editorial director and associate curator at Letterform Archive in San Francisco, who also authors a blog called Chromeography about the history of car branding. What Tesla has in common with Blade Runner The classic 1982 film Blade Runner, set in 2019, imagined a dystopian version of Earth threatened by intelligent humanoids. It didnt get a whole lot right about the modern day, but it turns out that some of the films aesthetics were pretty spot-on when it comes to predicting the branding of EVs. Blade Runners original poster sets the films title in a stenciled font. Stencils are typefaces with slits in their letters that make them appear as though theyve been cut, and they represent a printing technique that dates back to prehistory. Historically, stencilings ease of replication has made it ideal for uses in the military, transportation, and poster design. But in the late 20th century, it also became a hallmark of science fiction. [Images: Tesla, Warner Bros.] Dave Addey, an Apple engineer and author of the book Typeset in the Future: Typography and Design in Science Fiction Movies, runs a blog where he analyzes typography in iconic science fiction films. Stenciling comes up constantly. In Blade Runner, its used in the logo for the evil Tyrell Corporation. In 1979s Alien, it appears in the films opening sequence and on the back of Captain Dallass jacket. Later, in 1989s Back to the Future II, it pops up multiple times, including as a hypothetical logo for USA Today and in the branding of a Texaco gas station. Back to the Future Part II, 1989 [Images: Universal Pictures] If you look at the typography of those films, [stenciling] is something you see over and over again, Coles says. Stenciling is so ubiquitous in science fiction media that in a blog post titled How to Make Your Text Look Futuristic, Addey includes it as one of the key steps. Rule 5: Remove an entirely pointless and arbitrary segment of the text, he writes. Among EV brands, Rule 5 appears to have become branding gospel. Blader Runner, 1982 [Images: Warner Bros.] Tesla was one of the first brands to set the stenciling trend, but it was quickly followed by competitors like Chinas BYD and Neta. Jaguars new branding has a bit of stencil in it, while the luxury EV brand Rimac takes this strategy to the extreme, erasing almost entire portions of each character. It looks like it could be on the side of a spaceship in a sci-fi movie, Addey says. [Collage: FC] The great blanding of the automotive industry Its no surprise that the style is pervasive, says Terrance Weinzierl, executive creative type director at the tye foundry Monotype. One of his theories for the connection between sci-fi and EV branding is that the automotive industry is really a copycat industry. Just look at the most divisive EV brand of our time as proof. In November 2024, the legacy brand Jaguar announced that it would be shifting its focus away from gas vehicles and transforming into a luxury all-electric company. To usher in this change, the brand traded its iconic leaper cat logo for a thin, sleek, sans serif wordmark. Just a month later, Audi announced its own line of EVs in China, ditching its iconic four-ringed logo for, you guessed it, a thin, sans serif wordmark. The general trend in graphic design logo types maybe 15 years ago was to start going more geometricthe blandification, Coles says. Theres been a move away from serifs and other kinds of expressive type, which happened in the tech industry first. It seems like the car industry is 10 years behind that. [EV branding] feels to me like it’s a second phase of that general trend. [Photo: Jaguar] This flattening was a precursor to stenciling. Weinzierl notes that legacy brands including Kia, Chevrolet, Subaru, Porsche, Lexus, Infiniti, Mazda, Hyundai, Dodge, Lincoln, and Acura have all opted for flattened sans serif wordmarks in recent yearsa sharp contrast from the early days of car branding, when loopy scripts were everywhere. Just like the blanding trend of the 2010s, if one successful EV brand (like Tesla, for example) sets a certain typographic tone, others might feel compelled to follow. Coles believes that brands are also using this technique to appeal to millennial nostalgia for retro-futuristic aesthetics. If you think of who would be buying cars now and what influenced their feeling of what is futuristic, a lot of the films that [Addey] talks about in his book are from that periodthe 70s, 80s, maybe some early 90s, Coles says. Of course, some brands stand out as exceptions to this general rule. The EV company Scout Motors uses a wordmark that pulls inspiration from the script automotive logos of old. Other luxury brands, like Bugattis Tourbillon model, are doing something similar. [Collage: FC] Weinzierl says its important to remember that compared to the traditional automotive industry, EVs are still almost entirely new. As the category exits its nascent phase, we may see an increase in experimentation and brand differentiation. What I love about the EV industry is that there’s so much innovation and so much overhaul that’s happening, Weinzierl says. It reminds me of smartphones in 2008 or 2010year over year, the products were just dramatically different, and there was so much competition and so much innovation happening really fast. I see the blossoming EV industry as a mirror image of that.
Category:
E-Commerce
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