Expleo survey shows empathy rising as a core leadership trait while concerns about organisational impact of AI persist.
Business leaders in Ireland are placing renewed emphasis on human-centred leadership as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more embedded in the workplace, according to new data from Expleo’s latest AI Pulse survey.
The research, published on 19 May 2026, indicates that confidence in AI among Irish business leaders remained stable in April, with a sentiment score of 65 out of 100, unchanged from March.
“Business leaders here understand that it is people who transform organisations, not AI”
While adoption continues, the findings highlight a clear preference for people-focused management skills as organisations navigate technological transformation.
More than a quarter of Irish respondents, 28%, identified empathy as the most important capability for managers in the age of AI. This level of emphasis surpasses that of their European peers, with 21% in the UK, 18% in Germany and 15% in France selecting empathy as a priority skill.
By comparison, the ability to integrate AI into workflows and drive organisational change ranked lower among Irish leaders at 19%, despite being the top skill overall across surveyed markets at 25%.
Irish leadership mindset
The results point to a distinct leadership mindset in Ireland, where executives are focusing on how people adapt to technological change rather than solely on the technology itself.
Concerns about AI’s impact also remain present. The survey shows that 45% of Irish business leaders are worried about how AI is transforming their organisation, an increase from 43% in March. This level of concern exceeds that seen in other European markets, where 34% of respondents in France and Germany and 41% in the UK report similar unease.
Expleo suggests that this heightened caution reflects a deeper engagement with the implications of AI, rather than resistance to its adoption.
Phil Codd, Managing Director for Ireland at Expleo, said the strong focus on empathy highlights a growing maturity in how organisations approach AI.
“The high proportion of business leaders valuing human-centred leadership actually shows a great level of AI maturity,” he said. “Business leaders here understand that it is people who transform organisations, not AI.”
Codd added that companies investing in leadership capabilities alongside technology are more likely to realise long-term value from AI initiatives.
“The organisations that will get the most from AI are not the ones racing to implement it fastest, but the ones investing in the human side,” he said. “Ireland’s focus on empathy as a core management skill isn’t a reluctance to embrace AI, it’s an understanding of what successful adoption actually requires.”
The survey’s findings align with broader shifts in workplace priorities, as organisations balance efficiency gains from automation with the need to maintain strong employee engagement and trust. Leaders are increasingly expected to guide teams through periods of change, ensuring that AI tools complement human roles rather than disrupt them abruptly.
As AI adoption accelerates across industries, the Irish data suggests that leadership strategies are evolving in parallel, with emotional intelligence and communication skills taking on greater importance in shaping organisational performance.
Expleo’s AI Pulse continues to track sentiment across key European markets, offering a snapshot of how business leaders are responding to one of the most significant technological shifts in recent decades. In Ireland, that response is being defined as much by people as by machines.
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