Your AI Agents Are About to Get Better Job Descriptions Than Your Managers

Before an AI agent is allowed to act, McKinsey says it needs a named owner, clear limits, an escalation route and autonomy earned in stages. Most managers never get that much clarity. Drawing on McKinsey’s new guide to agentic AI, Gallup’s 2026 data on AI adoption and remote work, and new research on leadership character, Russell Harvey sets out what L&D must build now, and why remote teams will feel the shift first.