The Convergent Leader: A new leadership model for sustaining growth through disruption

European organisations have crossed a critical threshold in AI adoption. More than half of large enterprises are already using AI, and most are preparing for agentic systems. Despite heavy investment, fewer than half have scaled AI in ways that deliver sustained growth. The barrier is no longer technology, but people. Uneven access to tools and training, weak communication, limited governance, and declining trust are creating anxiety, disengagement, and resistance at precisely the moment organisations need employee commitment and ingenuity. This disconnect exposes organisations to operational, reputational, and talent‑pipeline risk — and helps explain why a majority of European companies have yet to realise AI’s promised returns.

In this report by Catalyst and Coqual, we find that organisations that succeed do so through Convergent Leadership, a blend of AI-skills, inclusive behaviours, and a flexible, human‑centred mindset. If you are an executive, HR or inclusion leader, or functional head responsible for AI-enabled transformation, this report will help you:

• Explore where workforce readiness and trust are blocking AI impact.
• Identify leadership capabilities that unlock adoption, innovation, and engagement.
• Take targeted actions to build responsible AI governance, equitable access, and future‑ready talent pipelines.
• Scale AI in ways that strengthen — rather than erode — trust, capability, and long‑term growth.

Download the report to learn what the data say about Convergent Leadership and discover how you can take action with the embedded resources:

• The Organisational Playbook
• A Toolkit for Assessing and Developing Convergent Leadership