Beyond Speed: How Women Leaders Are Defining the Human-Agentic Workforce

New research from Chief and Harris Poll reveals how senior women leaders are thinking beyond speed, efficiency, and output — and defining what leadership in the human-agentic workforce actually looks like.

What sets these leaders apart

It’s how they think about the human-AI relationship.

From speed to strategy

Women leaders are stepping in where strategy is missing. 85% are active players in their organization's AI strategy, establishing governance guidelines, building solutions, and designing how humans and agents will work together.

The Human-AI balance

68% use AI to amplify human talent, not replace it. The most resilient organizations aren’t automating the most—they’re building human capability alongside it. And 85% believe companies that invest in both AI and people will outperform those focused on technology alone.

80%

of women leaders are active players in their organization's AI strategy.

78%

have personal criteria for what stays human vs. what goes to AI in their work.

86%

of women leaders leverage their peer network as a competitive advantage in navigating AI strategy.

Measure Your AI Collaboration Skill

How are you defining the balance between human and machine?

Chief has partnered with Human Machines to measure the efficacy of your collaboration with AI, ultimately helping you identify opportunities to lead more intentionally.

By completing an AI leadership assessment, you'll receive a detailed report scoring your AI collaboration behavior across a range of dimensions, how you're building sustainable skills, and the quality of the work you achieve.

Your results contribute to a growing body of evidence on women’s leadership in the age of AI.

Key Findings

Chief and Harris Poll surveyed 1000+ senior women leaders to understand how they're navigating the AI era. Here's what we found.

Chief Beyond Speed: 86% of senior women leaders agree: "I'm more valuable as a leader because of my human skills, not despite them." 80% agree AI is making skills like judgment, empathy, and creativity more valuable, not less.
Chief Beyond Speed: 71% of women leaders are the first in their organizations to spot emerging AI risks. From over-reliance and burnout to eroding team trust, seeing the red flags is as crucial as identifying opportunities.
Chief Beyond Speed: Senior women leaders are protecting the skills that matter most in a workplace where humans and agents operate side by side: judgment, critical thinking, curiosity, insight, imagination.
Chief Beyond Speed: Human networks are a competitive advantage, helping leaders retain the strategic sharpness required of them in the AI era. 86% say their peer network is a competitive advantage in the AI era. 84% have made smarter AI-related decisions because of insights from their community.
Chief Beyond Speed: Organizations need to invest in humans at the same rate they're investing in technology. 87% of women leaders have witnessed negative consequences when AI is prioritized without parallel investment in people. 75% expect the critical thinking gap to get worse over the next 3 years.
Chief Beyond Speed: 80% of women leaders are active strategic players in their organization's AI efforts. Women leaders are stepping in where strategy is missing to design how humans and AI work together, build solutions, and implement responsible governance.

“What I see from the thousands of women leaders across Chief is vastly different from today’s headlines saying “women are behind in AI” and “women aren’t moving fast enough.” Women leaders aren’t just asking what AI does FOR US—but they’re also asking what it does TO US.”

Alison Moore headshot

Alison Moore

CEO of Chief

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