Vic SolThe teams that get the most from AI have a manager who uses it in the open
For managers and directors about to ask their team to adopt AI who want to know which part depends on them.
In 30 seconds
- In a survey of 20,000 knowledge workers, those who get the most value from AI report far more often that their manager uses it openly, sets quality standards and makes room to experiment.
- For a manager, this shifts the conversation from "which tool do I buy" to "what do I do differently as a manager".
- Use AI in front of your team, define what a good result looks like and protect time to experiment.
The exhibit
| Manager openly uses AI: Frontier Professionals | 85% |
|---|---|
| Manager openly uses AI: everyone else | 64% |
| Manager makes room to experiment: Frontier | 84% |
| Manager makes room to experiment: everyone else | 61% |
| Manager sets quality standards: Frontier | 83% |
| Manager sets quality standards: everyone else | 57% |
Microsoft, Work Trend Index 2026, May 5, 2026. Edelman DXI, 20,000 knowledge workers who use AI in 10 markets (incl. Brazil), Feb.-Apr. 2026.
Fact
- Microsoft commissioned the survey from Edelman Data x Intelligence: 20,000 people who use AI at work, in 10 markets including Brazil and the US.
- 16% qualify as "Frontier Professionals", the group reporting the most value (3,233 people).
- Manager practices show the most visible gap: open AI use (85% vs. 64%), quality standards (83% vs. 57%) and room to experiment (84% vs. 61%).
- According to the report's analysis, organizational factors account for 67% of AI impact, versus 32% for individual factors.
- Only 26% say their leadership is clearly and consistently aligned on AI.
My read
The data does not prove that a manager who uses AI causes better results; the report itself says these are associations. Still, it matches what you see in operations: people copy what the manager does, not what the memo says. A team that never sees its manager review an AI output doesn't know what quality is expected or whether mistakes are allowed. Another license does not fix that.
What to do on Monday
- In your next team meeting, use AI live on a real task and explain what you checked in the output. Sheet: adoption without imposing in 4 weeks
- Write five lines on what makes AI-assisted work acceptable in your area. Sheet: delegate the same way: context, example, criteria
- Block one hour a week for experimenting, with clear rules on which data stays out. Sheet: three rules for hidden AI use
What we don't know
- Everything is self-reported and only covers people who already use AI; there is no non-user comparison group.
- Microsoft sells AI tools for work; this is an interested-party study.
- Brazil is the only Latin American market; there is no data from Spanish-speaking markets.
Vic Sol · Decision Desk · vicsol.org/resources/ · Free to use with attribution. Independent summary of a public source; figures belong to their author. Not legal, financial or audit advice.