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MCE Quarterly
First Edition 2026
Journal of the American Management Association and Management Centre Europe
EDITOR’S PICK
The Future Remains AI, but with a Human Touch
The time has come: 2026 is the year when companies have to implement strong AI plans. These plans must include not only implementation strategies on how employees should be using AI in their everyday workflows but also ways companies can govern AI use. According to AMA’s most recent whitepaper, “Organizations that succeed in the AI era will be those that invest in continuous learning, build clear governance, and elevate the uniquely human capabilities that technology can’t replace.” AMA experts say that for companies to successfully adopt AI, people must remain at the center of decision making and AI-generated insights must be paired with critical thinking and human judgment. These experts add that this pairing prevents ethical blind spots, and keeps AI-aided decisions fair, contextual, and aligned with organizational values. Articles in this issue fall under three topics: what managers need to understand about the scale, strategy, and alignment of AI initiatives; human capability in an AI world; and how to be practical managers and leaders under complexity and pressure. In the first section, Robin Patra’s “From Pilot Purgatory to P&L Powerhouse” outlines the practical steps needed to take an AI plan from concept to actual working implementation. In the next section, Russell M. Kern’s “The Neuroscience Risks of Using AI to Think for Us” cites recent scientific studies to illustrate the banes, as well as benefits, of AI use. And in the final section, Er Jia Jiang shows “How Successfully Managing AI Can Get You Promoted.” As the world continues to turn to AI, you can rely on AMA’s human expertise to bridge the gap in your training and leadership development programs.
AMA/MCE RESEARCH :
AI at Work: The Leadership Imperative for 2026
AMA’s new whitepaper highlights a critical shift: Organizations that succeed in the AI era will be those that invest in continuous learning, build clear governance, and elevate the uniquely human capabilities that technology can’t replace.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
- From Pilot Purgatory to P&L Powerhouse
Traditional enterprises don’t manufacture AI. They orchestrate it. Here’s an operations-first, CFO-proof playbook for turning AI experiments into earnings. By Robin Patra - Navigating the Agentic AI Governance Challenge
No matter where management draws the definitional line for agentic systems, they demand governance. Without it, organizations risk deploying opaque, unmonitored AI agents whose impact—positive or negative—remains invisible. By Jim Olsen - AI Is Not the Disruption. Misalignment Is.
Artificial intelligence is a disruption. But the true disruption for most organizations isn’t the technology itself—it’s what AI adoption exposes about the way their business actually functions. By Leslie Ellis - The Neuroscience Risks of Using AI to Think for Us
Leaders can benefit from a neuroscience perspective on how and why frequent AI use creates business risks. By Russell M. Kern - The Human Side of AI: Rebuilding Workforce Trust in the Age of Automation
As AI moves to everyday practice, the test is simple: Does the system make work more human, not less? By Curtis Vincent - Why Emotional Intelligence Matters More Than Ever
The more intelligent our machines become, the more we are reminded of what intelligence alone cannot achieve. By Ali Yilmaz - Why Durable Skills Make the Difference
A pivotal shift is under way, and the need for what was previously labeled “soft skills” has been elevated. By Caitlin MacGregor - AI Highlights Your Workforce’s Wasted Potential
Generative AI performs a brutal, unblinking audit of a company’s work design, training programs, and human capital. By Iliya Rybchin - How Successfully Managing AI Can Get You Promoted
The defining skill of this decade isn’t coding or prompting, it’s managing intelligent systems with the same clarity, oversight, and judgment you’d use with a human teammate. By Er Jia Jiang - New Managers, Well-Being, and Engagement
Efficacy and the ability to drive engagement is linked to resilience, which can be influenced by specific behaviors that keep leaders in the right physical and emotional shape to inspire, guide, and support in the way the modern workplace needs. By Lesley Cooper - Successfully Managing in a Complex Environment
Managers entering scaleups find themselves facing dynamics that feel unfamiliar—and often deeply uncomfortable. By Vidya Murali
What to Explore Next
Management Centre Europe
Management Centre Europe (MCE) is the leading provider of International Management Development in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Founded in 1961, MCE is part of the American Management Association’s (AMA) Global Network. We inspire more than 1,000 organizations and over 10,000 managers and leaders through our Open Enrolment Training Programmes and our Customized Learning Solutions each year. We have been in the EMEA region for more than 58 years and our team of Learning and Development professionals can support you to achieve the impact you need at individual, team and organizational levels.