In the age of artificial intelligence, organizations face a stark reality: adapt to AI-driven work or risk being left behind. According to Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index, a new breed of “frontier firms” is emerging; companies that blend human ingenuity with on-demand AI agents to scale, innovate, and stay ahead of the curve. In fact, 82% of leaders say this is a pivotal year to rethink strategy and operations for an AI-enhanced future, and 24% have already deployed AI organization-wide (compared to just 12% still in pilot mode) (Microsoft). These statistics underscore a hard truth: leaders must lead out on AI adoption if their teams are to succeed.

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Why “leading out” matters—and what holds teams back

Leaders aren’t just spectators in this transition—they’re trailblazers. By championing AI adoption, they signal its importance, allocate resources, and empower teams to experiment. However, navigating this transformation isn’t without challenges:

  • Complexity of AI tools
    From crafting effective prompts to integrating agents into workflows, the learning curve can be steep.
  • Culture and change resistance
    Employees may fear job displacement or struggle to trust AI recommendations.
  • Capacity gaps
    While 53% of leaders report productivity must increase, 80% of workers say they lack the time or energy to do their work (Microsoft).

Without a clear adoption strategy—and robust training—companies risk underutilizing licenses, seeing tools go unused, or worse, eroding employee morale.

The critical role of end-user training

Effective training transforms AI from a quirky image generator into a powerful productivity engine. There are lots of benefits to equipping every team member with the know-how to leverage AI tools, including:

  1. Adoption rates soar
    Structured guidance accelerates the shift from “pilot” to “production,” ensuring investment pays off.
  2. ROI becomes tangible
    Users who understand how to tailor AI outputs to their needs deliver measurable business value.
  3. Employee confidence grows
    Training mitigates fears about ai, fostering a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement.

“AI on its own isn’t enough. It’s the people + training equation that drives real change.”

Ready to empower your workforce? Discover our end-user adoption strategies.

BrainStorm’s blueprint for AI-powered success

When Microsoft sought to accelerate copilot adoption among under-performing accounts, they turned to BrainStorm—a 2022 Microsoft US Partner of the Year. Within a cohort of 73 customers, BrainStorm’s turnkey training program delivered:

  • 50% average increase in monthly active copilot users
  • 56,557 new copilot licenses added within 6–8 weeks (Read the case study)

How did we achieve such rapid results? With end-user engagement tools on the BrainStorm platform:

  • Dynamic training courses
  • Turnkey end-user communications
  • On-demand events
  • End-user polling and assessments
  • Learning and usage

By meeting each user where they are—through dynamic, behavior-based learning paths—BrainStorm ensures sustained engagement and real license expansion. Read the full case study here: https://www.brainstorminc.com/case-study-copilot-for-m365.

Balancing human judgment and AI automation

Some argue that AI will simply replace routine tasks, reducing the need for training. But Microsoft’s research shows that hybrid teams—where agents handle drudgery and humans focus on judgment—outperform AI-only or human-only models alike. In fact, Harvard studies confirm that teams with AI achieve higher-quality outcomes than those relying solely on either humans or agents (Microsoft).

The upshot? Organizations must not only deploy AI, but also train users to work with agents—crafting prompts, validating outputs, and stewarding workflows. Without this, AI risks becoming a liability rather than an asset.

Getting started: three steps to AI-ready teams

  1. Assess your frontier firm phase
    Are you in “assistant” mode, “digital colleague” mode, or ready for full-process agents?
  2. Invest in targeted training
    Prioritize upskilling on tools employees already use—then layer in AI skills (prompt engineering, agent oversight).
  3. Measure, iterate, and scale
    Track adoption metrics (MAU, license utilization) and tailor campaigns to areas of low engagement.

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To see how BrainStorm simplifies even the trickiest parts of change, explore our change management solutions.

It’s time to lead out or get left behind

The frontier of AI-enhanced work is here, and leaders must lead out—not just endorse AI, but actively drive adoption through structured, personalized training. As Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index underscores, those who embrace hybrid human-agent teams will unlock unprecedented productivity and innovation. BrainStorm’s proven Microsoft 365 Copilot case study demonstrates that with the right training blueprint, organizations can transform pilots into enterprise-wide success stories beginning in just weeks.

Don’t let your team get left in the dust. Book a demo today and start your journey toward becoming a frontier firm.

Want to see all the ways BrainStorm drives adoption of software tools for organizations like yours: See all use cases.