AI is transforming how work gets done, generating content, reports, and decisions at unprecedented speed. For executives and professionals alike, this brings both opportunity and risk. On one hand, AI can help teams deliver at scale. On the other, it can make it harder for individual and collective contributions—especially human judgment and leadership—to stand out. To stay visible and influential, leaders and employees need to show where their unique strengths amplify AI’s value.

The Risk of Blending In

Recent research from McKinsey highlights a critical gap between perception and reality when it comes to AI adoption. Their Superagency in the Workplace report shows that employees are already using AI far more extensively than leaders recognize—often for a significant share of their daily work. Yet only 1 percent of companies consider their AI efforts mature. For executives, this means AI-driven work may be happening in ways that aren’t aligned with strategic goals or that go unrecognized as transformative. For individual contributors, it means AI-supported contributions can blend into the background unless they’re clearly tied to business outcomes.

Similarly, reporting from the Financial Times underscores how trust plays a role in visibility. Employees who feel trusted by their managers are significantly more likely to engage with AI tools. Across both studies, the conclusion is clear: visibility isn’t about being louder or busier—it’s about clarity. Executives must ensure that AI contributions advance company priorities. Employees must show how their human input strengthens and shapes AI-supported work.

Why Visibility Requires New Skills

When AI can generate drafts, reports, or analyses in seconds, visibility depends on how thoughtfully the tools are applied and how clearly the results are communicated.

For executives, visibility means:

• Ensuring AI work connects to strategy and priorities
• Championing use cases that highlight human oversight and insight
• Modeling clear, outcome-focused communication about AI initiatives

For individual contributors, visibility means:

• Using AI to enhance—not replace—their unique value
• Sharing stories that show how their judgment, creativity, or collaboration shaped outcomes
• Demonstrating thoughtful, strategic use of AI rather than generic application

McKinsey’s report highlights millennial managers as key players in this effort. Often the most AI-savvy generation in leadership, they guide teams in adopting AI tools responsibly and tie AI efforts to team and company objectives. Their visibility comes not just from using AI, but from helping others harness its value strategically.

Make Your Impact Clear

Whether you’re leading teams or contributing within one, success stories that illustrate where human strengths made a difference alongside AI are powerful visibility tools. The CAR method (Challenge, Action, Result) helps frame these stories:

• Challenge: What problem or opportunity did you address?
• Action: What did you or your team do, including how AI was applied?
• Result: What changed because of your contribution?

McKinsey’s research also shows that employees want more support to make AI part of their work in meaningful, visible ways. This is an opportunity for leaders to create that support and for professionals to narrate their impact confidently.

Action Step: Start a Visibility Journal

Executives: Encourage your teams to document and share AI-augmented wins that tie to business priorities. Model this by sharing your own examples.

Individual contributors: Take 10 minutes this week to write one CAR story about where you combined human strengths with AI support. Share it in a team meeting, 1:1, or networking conversation.

Final Thought: Visibility Is Clarity, Not Volume

In an AI-powered workplace, standing out isn’t about being louder—it’s about being clearer. The leaders and professionals who thrive will be those who communicate their value in specific, outcome-driven, human-centered ways.

In Part 3 of this series, we’ll explore how AI can support smarter mid-career pivots—and how continuous learning can open doors, not just protect your current role.