Companies are investing heavily in AI. C-suite executives are bullish about its potential. And yet, according to Section’s 2025 AI Proficiency Report, which surveyed over 5,000 knowledge workers, something interesting is happening in the middle layers of organizations: 39% of managers either prohibit or don’t encourage AI use among their teams.

This creates what I call the “middle management AI paradox” – a disconnect between executive enthusiasm and frontline reality that’s quietly sabotaging AI initiatives across organizations.

The Numbers Tell a Story

The AI Proficiency Report reveals a clear pattern. While 71% of companies now approve of AI use (up from 63% just six months ago), that approval isn’t consistently flowing down through management layers. When researchers looked at actual manager behavior, they found that many middle managers are either staying silent about AI or actively discouraging its use.

This matters more than you might think. The study shows that employees with managers who encourage AI use are significantly more likely to become proficient AI users. Meanwhile, those whose managers remain silent or discouraging? They struggle to move beyond basic, low-impact AI tasks.

Why Middle Managers Resist

Middle managers aren’t resisting AI because they’re luddites or change-averse. They’re caught in a perfect storm of competing pressures.

First, they’re feeling the squeeze of accountability without authority. Senior leadership announces AI initiatives and expects results, but middle managers often lack the training, resources, or clear guidelines to implement them effectively. They’re being held responsible for outcomes they don’t feel equipped to deliver.

Second, many middle managers are genuinely concerned about quality and compliance. They’ve built their careers on ensuring their teams produce reliable work, meet deadlines, and follow established processes. AI feels unpredictable and risky, especially when they don’t understand how to evaluate AI-generated work or set appropriate guardrails.

Third, there’s the fear factor that nobody talks about openly. Some middle managers worry that if their teams become too proficient with AI, it might make their own role less valuable. They see AI as potentially flattening organizational hierarchies and aren’t sure where that leaves them.

The Real Cost of Manager Resistance

This resistance is creating a productivity gap that compounds over time. The research shows that AI experts save more than 12 hours per week, while employees whose managers don’t encourage AI use typically save less than 2 hours.

Think about that for a moment. In a team of 10 people, that’s the difference between saving 20 hours of work per week versus 120 hours. Over a year, you’re looking at the equivalent of hiring an additional full-time employee just from the productivity gains.

But the cost goes beyond productivity. When middle managers don’t actively support AI adoption, they create an environment where employees either avoid AI entirely or use it in secretive, potentially risky ways. This underground usage often lacks proper oversight and can lead to exactly the kinds of quality and compliance issues managers were trying to avoid.

Flipping the Script

The solution: reimagine their role in AI adoption and give them what they need to succeed.

Start by acknowledging that middle managers are actually your secret weapon for AI adoption. They understand their teams’ workflows better than anyone. They know which processes are broken and which deadlines are unrealistic. They’re perfectly positioned to identify high-impact AI use cases and help their teams implement them safely.

But they need support to play this role effectively. This means providing them with AI training that’s specifically designed for managers – not just technical training on how to use AI tools, but strategic training on how to evaluate AI outputs, set appropriate boundaries, and coach their teams through the learning process.

It also means giving them clear policies and expectations. Many managers stay silent about AI because they genuinely don’t know what their company expects. Are employees allowed to use AI for client-facing work? What about confidential information? How should they handle AI-generated content that needs revision?

Making Managers AI Champions

The most successful organizations treat middle managers as AI champions rather than obstacles. They create manager-specific AI training programs, establish clear communication channels for questions and concerns, and regularly recognize managers who successfully integrate AI into their team’s workflows.

They also help managers reframe their role. Instead of seeing themselves as quality gatekeepers who need to prevent AI mistakes, successful managers learn to see themselves as AI coaches who help their teams get better results faster. This shift from “prevention” to “optimization” changes everything.

One simple but effective approach is to start with pilot programs where willing managers can experiment with AI in low-risk environments. Let them discover the benefits firsthand before asking them to champion it with their teams. Nothing convinces a skeptical manager like seeing their own productivity improve.

The Path Forward

The middle management AI paradox isn’t permanent, but it won’t resolve itself. It requires intentional effort to bridge the gap between executive vision and frontline reality.

If you’re a senior leader, take a hard look at your middle management layer. Are they equipped to support your AI initiatives? Do they understand what’s expected of them? Are you measuring and recognizing AI adoption at the management level?

If you’re a middle manager feeling caught in this paradox, remember that you have more influence than you think. Your team is looking to you for guidance on how to approach AI. You can choose to be the bridge that helps them succeed with these new tools, or the barrier that keeps them stuck in old patterns.

The companies that figure this out – that turn their middle managers into AI enablers rather than obstacles – will have a significant competitive advantage. They’ll see faster adoption, better results, and fewer implementation headaches.

Want to level up your team’s AI skills and need help getting your managers on board? I’d love to help you create a strategy that works for your specific situation. Connect with me on LinkedIn to discuss how we can turn your managers into AI champions.