Business & Technology
CMI launches AI leadership courses to boost productivity
The Chartered Management Institute has launched a suite of Leadership for AI qualifications after research showed many UK managers are struggling to turn AI investment into productivity gains.
Developed with TechSkills, the new courses are aimed at managers from frontline roles to senior executives. They cover AI literacy, cybersecurity, data and leadership, with separate levels for junior managers, departmental heads and C-suite leaders.
CMI’s survey of 1,019 managers found only 5% had seen transformational productivity gains from AI. By contrast, 26% reported no gains at all, while most described improvements as modest and limited to specific areas.
The findings suggest a gap between spending on AI tools and organisations’ ability to use them effectively. Just 12% of managers feel very confident leading AI adoption, while 38% lack the training to make it work.
Confidence falls further with more advanced systems. Only 10% of managers said they felt confident using agentic AI, and 8% said the same of predictive or analytical AI.
Senior leadership knowledge also emerged as a concern. Only 18% of managers strongly believed senior leaders fully understand the benefits AI can deliver, and fewer than one in ten, 8%, said leadership is actively tracking return on investment from AI.
Leadership gap
The new qualifications are designed to address that problem at different levels of management. Level 3, Managing AI Adoption, is aimed at junior and frontline managers. It focuses on team readiness, basic AI literacy and reducing unsanctioned use of AI tools in departments.
Level 5, Leading AI Transformation, is targeted at operational and departmental leaders. It centres on measuring return on investment, fitting AI into existing workflows and managing the shift to processes where people continue to oversee outputs.
At the most senior level, Strategic Leadership of AI is intended for executives and directors. It focuses on governance, ethics, long-term planning, organisational risk and compliance.
TechSkills said it helped develop specifications across AI, cybersecurity and data that shaped the course content. The work was informed by employer-led groups and senior advisers involved in setting digital skills standards.
The survey also points to broad support among managers for stronger training. Some 85% said employee performance would improve with a better understanding of how to manage AI, and 81% said the same for their own performance.
Lorna Willis, Chief Executive of TechSkills, argued for broader leadership preparation as AI changes workplace structures and expectations.
“AI is not just reshaping what organisations do, and how they do it, it is redefining who leads within them. Leadership is no longer tied to title or tenure, it is becoming a capability expected at every level. Entry level roles are increasingly required to manage and collaborate with teams of AI agents. And as AI introduces greater uncertainty, the need for strong, clear leadership has never been greater.
“In this landscape, technical skills alone are not enough. The qualities that matter most are deeply human: clarity, calm, curiosity, the confidence to challenge and question, and the ability to communicate with purpose and conviction.
“This is why AI-ready leadership demands both speed and care, the courage to act, balanced with thoughtful caution.
“It has been a pleasure to work with the Chartered Management Institute, who have responded with real pace by partnering with TechSkills to shape new tech and AI leadership standards for this new era. With thanks to those who have supported this work, including:
Mayank Jain (Infosys), Associate Professor Ismini Vasileiou (De Montfort University / East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster), Chris Parker MBE (Fortinet), Zeshan Sattar (The Cyber Scheme), Professor Robert Black (UK Cyber Leaders Challenge), Steve Taylor (National Fire Chiefs Council), Daniel Wilson (Amazon), and Gozde Karahan (Place Informatics).
“This reflects what is needed now: collaboration, clarity, and leadership at every level,” Willis said.
Industry view
Others involved in the initiative also argued that management quality will determine whether AI spending delivers measurable benefits. Dr Nicola Hodson, chair of IBM UK and Ireland, said organisations need stronger judgement and oversight rather than relying on technical teams alone.
“Essential skills for managers and leaders today go beyond simply understanding how to use AI, they include using it responsibly, recognising the ethical implications, ensuring decisions remain fair and unbiased, and creating opportunities for employees to get hands-on experience with the technology. Organisations that succeed will be those that build confidence and capability at every level, not just among technical specialists.”
“The rise of AI makes human skills more important, not less. Strong management and leadership, creativity, sound judgement, and the ability to build relationships will be critical differentiators. It is this combination of technical awareness and deeply human capability that will define success in the years ahead,” Hodson said.
Jacky Wright, former chief technology and platform officer at McKinsey, linked AI adoption to leadership and organisational culture as much as software deployment.
“AI is no longer a future ambition, it’s a present-day reality for organisations across every sector. But successful adoption isn’t just a technical challenge. It’s also a leadership and cultural one. Without strong, informed leadership, AI risks being underutilised or delivering uneven results. To truly unlock AI’s potential, leaders need the strategic foresight to know where AI creates value and the ability to bring people along to new ways of working.
“It has been a pleasure to work alongside fellow members of the CMI’s AI Advisory Council to help both identify what needs to be done to get this right and to support the development of workable tools for leaders at every stage in their career journey,” Wright said.
CMI framed the issue as a management problem rather than a technology constraint. Ann Francke, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, said many businesses had moved quickly to buy AI tools without giving managers the training needed to use them well.
“The sad truth is that untrained managers are holding back Britain’s AI boom. Businesses have moved quickly to invest in AI, but many are now finding that getting it in the door is the easy part, while making it actually deliver is much harder and comes down to how organisations are led.
“Too often, managers have been handed powerful tools without the training or confidence to properly oversee their use. This risks wasted investment, inconsistent decisions and employees becoming fed up with ad-hoc decision-making. If we want AI to deliver real productivity gains, we need to focus on the people leading it, not the technology itself,” Francke said.
Jayden, 13 launched Jay’s Bakes from his home in Taunton Road in Bicester on Saturday, June 20.
His late nan, a keen baker herself, was the inspiration behind his passion, as well as time spent helping his uncle with his catering business.
Over the last 18 months he has honed his skills by preparing sweat treats every day after school.
READ MORE: Bicester Village open late for outdoor England World Cup screenings
Determined to turn his hobby into something more, Jayden spent two and a half months researching requirements, gaining his Level 2 food hygiene certificate and officially registering his business, mostly without adult intervention.
After four days of preparation, the business officially launched.
Customers were treated to a wide selection of homemade goods, including M&M cookies, Kinder brownies, Biscoff cookies, Victoria sponge trays, lemon drizzle cups and viral ‘dot cakes’.
READ MORE: Heatwave: safest spots to cool off in Oxfordshire
His Kinder brownies proved particularly popular, and by the end of the day he had sold out of everything, taking £210.
Despite feeling “excited and a bit nervous” beforehand, Jayden said the opening was a success, with a strong turnout and positive feedback shared on social media.
His favourite moment came when he officially opened the shed by cutting the ribbon.
Supported by his mum, stepdad, grandparents and uncle, Jayden first began selling from a table in May before building and painting his now-signature blue cake shed.
He now plans to continue baking and selling regularly, bringing his creations to the local community.
Lidl has been given planning permission to build its ninth supermarket in Oxfordshire, despite concerns over flooding.
Aldi opened in Didcot in 2015 and has a supermarket at the Jubilee Way roundabout but shoppers in the town have had to wait over a decade for Lidl to follow.
READ MORE: Popular hi-fi shop has closed down
South Oxfordshire District Council has now backed plans by the German retailer for a new supermarket in Abingdon Road.
Former Didcot mayor Mocky Khan said: “This give the residents of Didcot more choice, especially when you consider the cost of living environment we have at the moment.
“The town is growing with more new homes being built, and with more growth it’s good to have a wide variety of supermarkets to fit all budgets,”
The plans for the new supermarket were first submitted in 2024.
Didcot Town Council previously objected to the scheme, on the grounds of a lack of flood risk mitigation measures, along with the county council who said there was “insufficient information”.
The town council noted there are “several flooding incidents in the area, especially when the Marsh Bridge water pumps fail”.
But in a report by planning officers granting permission to the supermarket, those issues have now been addressed by Lidl.
The officers said the proposals “largely accord” with the policies around planning, and more can be done to “break up” the car park with greenery.
Planning officers chose to let Lidl build the new supermarket subject to conditions.
They said in a report: “Balanced against this policy conflict is the fact that this is a previously developed site, which is currently in a dilapidated state.
“The proposals represent a significant improvement on the current underutilisation of the site and on its appearance.
“The National Planning Policy Framework and Local Plan set out significant support for the reuse of previously developed land.
“As stated in the applicant’s planning statement, there have been previous enquiries as to the redevelopment of the site that have not come to fruition.
“Given this, finding a viable use for the site is a clear benefit which I consider to be of substantial benefit.”
Thirty-four residents had objected to Lidl’s plans, highlighting concerns over extra traffic, there being no need for another supermarket in the town and there being more appropriate locations to build in their view.
Didcot already has an Aldi store just off Broadway and a Sainsbury’s, M&S Foodhall and Asda.
The nearest Lidl to the proposed site are in Lupton Road, Wallingford, and Marcham Road in Abingdon.
Three people wrote in to support the new Lidl, recognising the benefits of a discount food store and the further jobs it will create.
Lidl has said its proposals for a Didcot supermarket would deliver 40 full-time equivalent jobs as well as further employment during the construction phase.
No opening date was given by the retailer, while the developer is currently on site progressing with the enabling works.
A spokesman said: “We’ve seen demand for our affordable, high-quality products continue to rise in Oxfordshire, and we are committed to serving more communities in the area.
“Our new store will create around 40 new jobs and build on our continued growth.
“We’re excited to be a step closer to opening this store and thank everyone who has supported us on our journey so far.”
It also said the £12m investment would work with the 6,300 new homes allocated to be built, as per the local plan.
Dalcour Maclaren, a specialist in utilities and infrastructure, announced the news on June 22, following a detailed assessment of its operations, including governance, employee wellbeing, environmental impact, and social responsibility.
James Neil, CEO of Dalcour Maclaren, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Dalcour Maclaren.
“B Corp status gives us the official badge that recognises everything that matters most to us in our culture, our values, and how we make decisions for our people and our clients. We thrive on doing things differently at DM and B Corp absolutely endorses this.”
The certification means the company meets rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
Dalcour Maclaren now joins more than 10,000 B Corps worldwide and over 2,600 in the UK, including well-known names such as The Guardian, Innocent Drinks, Patagonia, and The Big Issue.
Chris Turner, CEO of B Lab UK, said: “Welcoming Dalcour Maclaren to the B Corp community is hugely exciting. Its commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and will help spread the notion that success in business is as much about people and planet as it is profit.”
Dalcour Maclaren operates across the UK and Ireland, supporting major projects in energy, water, transport, and digital infrastructure. The company’s services include land, planning, environment, stakeholder engagement, and geospatial services.
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