# Cisco’s People Chief: Rethinking Leadership for an AI-Driven Workforce Cisco prioritizes human skills and learning agility to successfully integrate AI across its workforce. - **Source:** [Fortune](https://fortune.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-12 - **Topic:** [careers](https://brifing.si/c/careers) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/1153c30d-b931-420f-90df-598e8b038228 ## Workforce Transformation Strategy Cisco is actively preparing its 85,000 employees for an AI-integrated future by emphasizing learning agility over simple technical training. Executive Francine Katsoudas highlights that true transformation requires leaders to change alongside their teams. This strategic focus contributed to the company achieving record revenue and its second-place ranking on the 2026 Fortune World’s Best Workplaces list. ## Prioritizing Human Capabilities As AI automates routine tasks, Cisco emphasizes that human judgment, critical thinking, and curiosity remain essential for business success. Research from the AI Workforce Consortium supports this, showing increased demand for ethical reasoning and systems thinking in technical roles. Employees are encouraged to challenge assumptions and make thoughtful decisions while utilizing new AI tools. ## Dedicated Time for Growth Cisco introduced the Time to Grow initiative, granting every employee four dedicated hours each month specifically for learning. Katsoudas notes that business demands often push professional development to the bottom of priority lists. By formalizing this time, the company ensures that employees can develop the skills necessary for tomorrow while maintaining current operational performance. ## Reverse Mentorship Programs The AI Mentorship Program, or CAMP, flips traditional hierarchies by pairing employee AI super users with senior executives. Employees act as mentors, providing leaders with strategic insights into how AI is applied in daily work. This initiative fosters trust and candid communication, helping executives understand the practical realities of new technology implementation. ## Fostering Risk and Innovation Innovation requires a culture where employees feel safe taking risks and experimenting with new methods. At Cisco, 89% of staff report that management views honest mistakes as part of business, significantly higher than the 38% average at typical tech firms. This environment encourages 87% of employees to actively learn AI through direct experimentation. ## Leadership as a Catalyst Katsoudas asserts that workforce transformation is impossible without fundamentally rethinking leadership styles. Data shows that Cisco employees are twice as likely to use AI if their direct manager does so. Leaders are expected to model behavior, provide clarity on company direction, and build trust to ensure employees feel confident during periods of change. ## Productivity and Engagement Metrics Cisco recorded its strongest year for employee productivity in three decades during the 2026 fiscal year. Nine out of ten employees report a willingness to put in extra effort, compared to two-thirds at typical global technology companies. Higher engagement is specifically observed among employees who consistently integrate AI into their daily professional workflows. ## Future of Human-AI Collaboration The ultimate goal for Cisco is to leverage AI to free up time for customer relationships and complex problem-solving. Katsoudas emphasizes that companies must be as intentional about investing in people as they are in technology. Success depends on being equally ambitious about what employees can become as what technology can achieve. ## Sources covering this story - https://fortune.com/2026/11/12/ciscos-people-chief-we-cant-transform-our-workforce-without-fundamentally-rethinking-how-we-lead/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._