Picture this: It’s Monday morning, and it feels impossible to wake up and get ready for work. You’re not feeling motivated, and there is nothing on the horizon that feels even remotely exciting. You’re even struggling to get along with the version of yourself that’s supposed to show up at the office.
Then there’s everyone else. You have to get along with your colleagues, and today, they seem to have no common sense and approach problems in ways that feel completely foreign to you.
Unfortunately, too many people resonate with this generalized version of a Monday. If you are a leader, it is even more challenging, as your success depends on how much you can motivate employees and create a high-performing team.
Now imagine that a new person from another planet has joined your team. They don’t think like your current staff and are smarter in certain things and more limited in others. No, we are not going into sci-fi territory; we are talking about the present challenges of companies where AI is the new guy. So, how do you create a high-performing team with it?
Reality Versus Hype
There is a lot of buzz and hope. However, the results do not often reflect the same positivity. According to an MIT report, 95% of AI projects fail to deliver expected returns or are abandoned at the pilot stage. The situation is quite similar to when companies hire eccentric high-performers for their teams, hoping to create synergy. However, they soon realize that overall performance drops due to toxic team dynamics, feelings of resentment or being ignored and a lack of motivation and psychological safety.
How many times have you tried to call customer service, and the chatbot was so inefficient that they had to refer you to a real human? When most companies have access to the same or at least similar technology, the real competitive advantage is going to be human capital. AI is as good as the people who train it and the clients who trust it. This year, several global organizations fired and replaced thousands of employees with AI, only to hire additional employees in areas that are resistant to automation.
And that is the key: AI can replace automatic, boring jobs while at the same time increasing the value of a human approach.
The ‘Alien’ Potential
Think of AI as an extremely smart, passionately eager employee (or department) from another planet, with a very specific set of extreme strengths and weaknesses. That is the potential—but the benefits are clearly not automatic.
I am using the phrase “alien” intentionally based on the insights of Yuval Noah Harari, author and historian, who claims that as AI evolves, it becomes less artificial (similar to its creators) and more alien, thinking in ways we do not. This isn’t about under- or overestimating its positive or negative traits—it’s about recognizing cycles we’ve seen before, where hype and promises outpace skilled expertise.
This situation mirrors what happens when well-intentioned initiatives or extraordinary individuals are introduced into existing systems without the right environment. In a previous article, I discussed why focusing too narrowly on small segments of diversity—without fostering an inclusive environment—often makes the situation worse, even though the concept itself is extremely important. A good idea with poor execution can cause more harm than good.
Lessons For Leaders
So, what are the lessons we can learn and implement today to create a high-performing team with this new type of employee? The obstacles to overcome are very similar:
Cultural Resistance To Change
The status quo is powerful—change is often embraced only as long as it doesn’t directly affect us. Let’s be honest: Companies don’t change, people do—or at least, they should. If employees don’t trust, understand or see the value of a transformation, they are likely to resist or even sabotage it. Building trust, providing clarity and securing buy-in are therefore absolutely critical.
As a leader, provide clear guidance and communication explaining why it is beneficial for your employees to be an active part of this journey, as well as what issues they’ll avoid by doing so.
Loss Of Control And Autonomy
Intrinsic motivators are the foundation of a high-performing team. Taking them away intentionally or due to misunderstandings can negatively impact the outcome. Why would anyone help somebody else just to have less control?
According to the CEO of Nvidia, most people won’t lose their jobs to AI, but to someone who uses AI, so it makes sense to get on board. Maintaining agency is not optional, so make it clear to your employees how AI can increase theirs instead of reducing it.
Fear Of Irrelevance
The possibility of losing one’s livelihood is a threat to the most fundamental layer of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: safety. Naturally, no one is motivated to train someone—or something—that could replace them. Your transformation efforts should therefore go beyond mere replacement.
Focus on identifying where humans can add extra value and how AI can complement their skills. In the 1990s, simply having an internet presence or the ability to use email gave businesses a significant competitive edge. Over time, as the internet became widespread, it shifted from being a “nice to have” to a foundational element of modern business life. Today, a robust digital presence is the minimum requirement. When most companies have access to the same technology, the real competitive advantage is going to be their people and how they use it.
Balancing Efficiency And Engagement
The price of short-term efficiency may soon become too high if employee engagement drops, client trust erodes and your organization’s reputation suffers. Turning an intercultural group into a high-performing team is challenging enough—adding some “alien” participants takes it to a whole new level. That said, there is real potential here, but only if it’s done correctly.