AI is taking the busywork. That’s the headline.
Project plans, meeting notes, research summaries, first-draft copy—it’s all getting handed off to tools that promise speed and scale. In theory, that should lighten the load. However, the reality is more complicated: as the tactical work is stripped away, teams are downsized, and the human work becomes heavier.
As the tactical tasks disappear, the responsibility shifts. The pressure to lead, decide, align, and communicate falls more heavily on those who are still standing. And in many companies, those people are navigating reduced teams, reshuffled roles, and considerable confusion about who does what now.
That’s the real shift: AI isn’t just changing workflows, it’s exposing every weakness in your org structure. Especially when you’re trying to survive with fewer people, fuzzier roles, and bigger expectations.
I’ve seen this story play out before. In fact, I lived it.
The double-edged sword of being “good at everything”
My first real job was at a startup, where I was hired as a “New Media Producer.” Translation: I did everything—writing, editing, producing, project managing, designing, coding. I was employee #8. We were small, scrappy, and moving fast. I soaked it all up, partly because I was eager, and partly because I didn’t know any better. Fourteen-hour days felt normal. The free dinner after 8 p.m. was presented as a perk.
But those years taught me what I was great at—and what I wasn’t. I learned that I’m a generalist at heart, but a project manager in practice. Writing helps me process. Strategy helps me lead. I see how things fit together, how to make them better, faster, more human. That startup was the first place I flexed that muscle.
And then we grew. We scaled from 8 people to nearly 100. And then, like so many startups, we got acquired. Then gutted. My team changed every month until the day I walked into my boss’s office and asked to be in the next round of layoffs. Not because I had another job lined up, but because I couldn’t take the stress anymore.
That moment changed how I think about leadership.
Because my boss? He didn’t fight me on it. He looked at me and said, “I get it.” And I could tell he really did. It was like that moment as a kid when you see your teacher in the grocery store and realize they’re a person too. We were both carrying the same pain, trying to hold the pieces together while appearing strong for the team, yet falling apart inside.
He put me on that next list. I left the company at 12 people, just two years after starting as employee #8.
Since then, I’ve worked in and with SaaS companies and agencies, both large and small. I’ve seen this cycle repeat more times than I can count: rapid growth, vague role definitions, big announcements, layoffs, confusion, scrambling, recovery. The recovery is always rough.
But I’ve also seen what good leadership looks like in those moments. I’ve worked with CEOs who take the challenge head-on. They don’t sugarcoat it. They don’t dump more work on fewer people and hope for the best. They reset. They reorganize. They recalibrate. And they build a better version of the team from what’s still standing.
Those leaders? They’re the ones worth sticking around for.
The unicorn problem at scale
And that’s precisely what we need more of right now.
Because the same dynamic I experienced back then is playing out on a larger scale today. In many companies, hybrid roles have become the norm, not because they are strategic, but because they are necessary. Project managers are being asked to run client relationships. Designers are expected to code. Junior staff are told to “step up” into senior roles without the support to succeed.
I wrote about this recently in my piece on the hybrid AM/PM role, and the response was overwhelming. So many people reached out to say they’d been put in similar situations—expected to carry relationships, manage workflows, and deliver creative outcomes, all under the banner of “efficiency.”
Let me be clear: this is not a criticism of leaders doing their best in challenging situations. It’s a wake-up call to look at the humans on your team—the ones who are still here—and support them like your business depends on it. Because it does.
For the leaders still standing
If you’re a leader trying to hold your team together right now, I want you to hear this: I see you.
You’re tired. You’re doing the math on every hire. You’re absorbing more than you ever signed up for—more meetings, more management, more emotions. You’re trying to keep morale up while also keeping the lights on. You’re watching your middle managers get cut, and suddenly you’re managing 25 people, with no roadmap and no relief.
It’s a lot. It’s too much. And you’re not alone.
This is your moment—not to be perfect, but to lead with clarity, empathy, and action. You don’t need unicorns. You need to rebuild the structure around the humans you do have.
Here’s where to start:
- Reorganize with transparency. If roles are shifting or teams are changing, explain why. Involve people in the process. Even tough changes land better when people understand the “why.”
- Recalibrate roles and rewrite job descriptions. If someone’s taking on a hybrid role, say so. Define it. Pay for it. Don’t let ambiguity breed resentment.
- Set clear goals. What are you working toward as a team? What does success look like for each person? Don’t just hand out KPIs—create shared purpose.
- Check in individually. Your most effective leadership tool is the 1:1 meeting. Use it to listen, build trust, and support growth—especially if you're managing more people than ever. Need a boost? Grab Lead with Impact: The 1:1 Playbook for Stronger Teams for prompts, scripts, and practical tips.
- Identify the gaps. Where is your team flying blind? Where is someone being underutilized—or overwhelmed? Get honest about strengths, growth areas, and what’s actually missing.
- Make real resourcing plans. Protect people’s time and energy. Say no to work you can’t support. Push back on unrealistic asks. Build in breathing room, not just timelines.
This isn’t performative leadership. It’s the real kind—the kind that makes teams stronger, steadier, and ready for whatever comes next. And if you’re doing that work right now? You’re the real unicorn.
T L ; D R - Unicorns aren’t real. People are. The ones who are still here—still showing up, still trying, still caring—are the people who will get you through this next chapter. Stop expecting them to be magical. Start giving them the structure, focus, and support they need to succeed.
Because the future of work isn’t about who can do it all. It’s about building teams that can do what matters—together.
