The Convergent Leader
The leaders getting more from AI are doing more than mastering the technology. They are combining AI fluency with inclusive leadership and the ability to adapt under pressure.
37%
of leaders qualify as Convergent Leaders
2,891
leaders and employees surveyed
FIELDED
October 2025 – January 2026
2.7x
more likely to report a boost in team productivity
MARKETS
France, Germany, United Kingdom
PUBLISHED
2026
RESEARCH REPORT
2026
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CATALYST
WHAT WE FOUND
01
Convergence is rare
Only 37% of leaders in the study combined all three capabilities: AI skills, inclusive behaviors, and a flexible mindset.
02
The combination shows up in the numbers
Compared with non-Convergent Leaders, Convergent Leaders were 2.7 times as likely to report improved team productivity, 2.4 times as likely to report gains in market share or new markets, and about twice as likely to report increased revenue or profit margin.
03
Employees experience the difference
Employees who described their leaders as inclusive, adaptable, transparent, and engaged in AI adoption were far more likely to say they felt valued, engaged, able to advance, safe expressing different views, and recognized for their contributions.
04
AI adoption is exposing a leadership gap
Only 16% of employees said leaders remain confident and supportive while navigating AI disruption. Just 34% said AI training and resources are broadly available, and 40% said they were not at all or only slightly included in decisions about how AI is implemented in their team or role.
FROM THE INTERVIEWS
“Curiosity and adaptability are the two key capabilities for the AI era.”
CHIEF DATA OFFICER, MEDIA ORGANIZATION
“People who have access to AI and can learn to use it and prompt effectively are going to be enormously advantaged in the workforce.”
FORMER SENIOR DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL DEI, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRM
“Empowering others is about giving them the vision and the strategy and the ‘why.’”
CHRO, MULTINATIONAL INSURANCE FIRM
WHAT ORGANIZATIONS CAN DO NOW
Recommendations for employers
Four moves the research supports. The full report carries the organizational playbook and the toolkit behind them.
-
Include employees in decisions about workflow redesign, make AI learning part of paid work, and create clear channels for feedback as jobs change.
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As AI takes on entry-level tasks, deliberately protect the experiences through which people build judgment, critical thinking, relationships, and confidence.
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Track access, adoption, proficiency, performance, advancement, employee experience, and whether some groups are benefiting more than others.
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Assess and develop leaders for all three capabilities, and use them in leadership expectations, talent reviews, succession planning, development, and promotion decisions.
What does leadership look like when AI is changing the work faster than the organization can rewrite the rules?
METHOD
A mixed-methods study conducted by Coqual and Catalyst. Researchers surveyed 2,891 leaders and employees in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom in October and November 2025, and conducted interviews with 31 executives, functional leaders, team leaders, and subject-matter experts between October 2025 and January 2026.
HOW TO CITE
Coqual & Catalyst. The Convergent Leader. Coqual Global Lab, 2026.
PRESS & MEDIA
For journalists, editors and event producers
The leaders getting more from AI are doing more than mastering the technology. They are combining AI fluency with inclusive leadership and the ability to adapt under pressure.