Research & Insights

What the data says
about AI, people, and change.

I read and research broadly and daily — so my clients don't have to. Here's the evidence I find most actionable, with an honest read on what it means for leaders navigating AI adoption right now.

Key findings

The evidence is unambiguous.
People are the key blocker — and the key enabler.

The 70% That Actually Drives AI ROI
WHERE COMPANIES INVEST 10% 90% technology WHERE ROI ACTUALLY COMES FROM 70% People & Process 20% 10% Source: BCG, 2026 — AI Transformation Is a Workforce Transformation
BCG confirms what change practitioners have long argued: AI ROI is 70% people and process, 20% technology, and 10% algorithms. Most companies still invest in the inverse — spending 90% of their budget on the 30% that matters least.
BCG: AI Transformation Is a Workforce Transformation →
54% of C-Suite Leaders Say AI Is "Tearing Their Company Apart"
AI Adoption Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3 Yr 4 Yr 5 With structured change program Without Behavior Over Time — AI Adoption Rate
79% of enterprises face significant AI adoption challenges. The #1 barrier isn't employee resistance — it's lack of internal readiness. Organizations with structured change and upskilling programs see 3–4× higher adoption rates than those without.
Enterprise AI Adoption 2026 — Writer.com →
ICF 2026 Coaching Futures Report: The Profession Is Accelerating
$5.3B 2026 $5.8B 2027 $6.3B 2028 $6.9B 2029 $7.5B 2030 Global coaching market at 8–9% annual growth
The ICF's 76-page Coaching Futures Report maps the profession through 2036. AI integration, democratization beyond the C-suite, and demand for measurable outcomes are among the defining forces reshaping who coaches, how, and why. The global coaching market stands at $5.34B — and is growing.
ICF Coaching Futures Report 2026 →
Nearly 70% of C-Suite Leaders Are Burned Out — and Considering Quitting
70% of C-suite report burnout Source: Deloitte Global Wellbeing Survey (via Tandem Coaching, 2026)
Leadership isn't just a performance challenge — it's a resilience challenge. Nearly 70% of C-suite executives report burnout severe enough that they're considering leaving. Coaching is no longer optional infrastructure. It's how high-performing leaders sustain performance without burning out in the process.
8 Top Trends in Executive Coaching 2026 — Tandem Coaching →

What this means for you

Three things every leader
navigating AI needs to know.

These aren't three separate tips — they're one chain. Fix the budget (01), read the resistance as signal instead of a fight (02), and structure (03) is what makes the fix hold instead of drifting back. Notice the order: the money is the easiest thing to change and the least of it. What people can see, what gets rewarded, and what everyone quietly believes is really being optimized for — that's where the real leverage lives, and it's why the same initiative can be funded twice and stall twice.

01

Your budget is probably backwards

Most organizations spend 90% of their AI investment on technology and 10% on people. BCG's data shows the return on investment is almost exactly the reverse. If your AI initiative is underperforming, check the budget allocation before the technology.

02

Resistance is information, not obstruction

31% of knowledge workers admit to working against their company's AI initiatives. That's not a personality problem — it's a signal. Fear of Becoming Obsolete (FOBO) is real, and ignoring it creates the very resistance organizations are trying to avoid. Address the fear, and the resistance often dissolves.

03

Structure multiplies results

Organizations that apply structured change and upskilling programs to AI adoption see 3–4× higher adoption rates. That gap isn't about the technology — it's entirely about how you manage the human side of the transition. Structure isn't bureaucracy. It's what makes the difference between a $10M investment and a $10M lesson.

Curated reading

What I'm reading.
What's worth your time.

I read and research broadly and daily so you can read selectively. These are the reports, articles, and frameworks I find most actionable — not just trending.

AI Adoption & Change Management

AI Transformation Is a Workforce Transformation
BCG · 2026 · The definitive case that people & process drive AI ROI
Enterprise AI Adoption 2026
Writer.com · 2026 · Survey data from 1,600+ enterprise leaders on what's working and what isn't
Best Practices in Change Management
Prosci · Ongoing research · The benchmark study on why structured change management matters
Change Management — HBR Collection
Harvard Business Review · Curated research and practitioner perspectives

Leadership Coaching & Development

ICF Coaching Futures Report 2026
ICF · 2026 · 76-page strategic view of where the coaching profession is heading through 2036
People & Organizational Performance Insights
McKinsey · Ongoing · Research on leadership effectiveness, talent, and org design
Center for Creative Leadership — Articles
CCL · Ongoing · Evidence-based leadership development research
CRR Global — Systems Coaching Resources
CRR Global · Tools and frameworks for organizational & relationship systems coaching
8 Top Trends in Executive Coaching for 2026
Tandem Coaching · 2026 · Wellbeing, resilience, AI-enhanced coaching, and the democratization of access — eight shifts reshaping the profession

Research published by Kelly Fidei

From the field — in print.

These perspectives were published through the Infosys Knowledge Institute, drawing on real-world transformation work with Fortune 500 organizations.

Infosys Knowledge Institute · 2025 Beyond Compliance: How to Implement Responsible AI and Foster a Workplace That Champions It

Responsible AI isn't just a policy question — it requires change management. Organizations must engage their workforce to make it stick.

Read the perspective →
Infosys Knowledge Institute · 2025 How to Balance People and Technology for AI Success

Effective AI implementation requires more than a tech-driven strategy. The organizations that get it right balance capability with human-centered change.

Read the perspective →
Infosys Knowledge Institute · 2024 Reimagining Work: Why AI Needs Humans

The synergy between humans and AI creates new opportunities — and requires deliberate design. A framework for rethinking how work gets done.

Read the perspective →
Infosys Knowledge Institute · 2020 Agile Managed Services to Enhance Value Delivery

How Agile principles can transform managed services relationships — delivering real value rather than just contract compliance.

Read the perspective →

This data points to a gap most organizations can't see from the inside.

Let's talk about where you are, where you want to go, and how to get there — without the license graveyard, the resistant teams, or the change that never lands.

Start a conversation → 📍 Available for coaching, workshops, and advisory engagements globally