Are CEOs Stupid? Or Just Stubborn?
Why employees resist AI when leadership funds surveillance tech instead of building trust.
Three Articles. Five Minutes. One Masterclass in Corporate Delusion.
Why the same executives puzzled by employee AI resistance are funding the surveillance tech that destroyed trust in the first place.
Today's post practically wrote itself.
This morning's doom scroll delivered a masterclass in corporate delusion. Within five minutes of browsing my feeds—somewhere between the Greek yogurt and the cup of tea—I stumbled across three articles that perfectly capture why the modern workplace feels like watching a slow-motion car crash directed by people who failed basic psychology.
First up: Half of global technology professionals are job hunting as they seek flexibility, purpose and wellbeing
"What technology professionals want is clear: flexibility, balance and purpose. It's now up to employers to deliver, through real policies, a supportive culture, and transparent leadership which shows direction, explains intent and builds confidence. Those who do will be far better placed to attract talent in an already competitive market." - Half of global technology professionals are job hunting as they seek flexibility, purpose and wellbeing
Translation: Workers want to be treated like sentient beings with lives outside their cubicles. Revolutionary stuff, really.
But wait—plot twist! The very next article:
Venture Capital (VC) Money Is Fueling a Global Boom in Worker Surveillance Tech
"Workplace surveillance is expanding in scale and sophistication, the researchers said. While large corporations are known to develop surveillance technologies, a so-called Little Tech ecosystem of mostly unregulated, venture capital-funded startups and small vendors making these products has grown since Covid-19, the report found. [...] Most managers in wealthier nations say algorithmic management tools improve their decision-making, according to a 2024 survey of over 6,000 employers by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. More than 90% of American managers used such tools, especially to reward or sanction employees." - Venture Capital (VC) Money Is Fueling a Global Boom in Worker Surveillance Tech
So while workers are fleeing in search of basic human dignity, companies are doubling down on turning workplaces into panopticons. Because nothing says "flexibility and purpose" quite like keystroke monitoring and bathroom break analytics.
I’m a founder, intrapreneur, and former CIO rethinking governance for the one-person business, navigating sole accountability in the age of intelligent machines—informed by plenty of scar tissue. All posts are free, always. Paying supporters keep it that way (and get a full-color PDF of my book Human Robot Agent plus other monthly extras as a thank-you)—for just one café latte per month.
The cherry on this dystopian sundae:
Nearly half of CEOs say employees are resistant or even hostile to AI
"45% of CEOs said most of their employees are resistant or even openly hostile to AI. [The researchers] noted three key barriers to AI adoption: organizational change management, a lack of employee trust in AI and workforce skills gaps." - Nearly half of CEOs say employees are resistant or even hostile to AI
Let me decode this executive bewilderment: People don't trust the shiny new technology being shoved down their throats by the same leadership that thinks surveillance equals productivity. Shocking.
Are CEOs stupid? Or just stubborn?
Jurgen, Solo Chief
P.S. Have you seen your CEO do something this tone-deaf? I want to hear it.
The Solo Chief
From Substack creators to traditional middle managers, professionals across industries are turning into Solo Chiefs. As a single wringable neck, they orchestrate AI tools and automated systems with ever-smaller teams of humans.
You’re an Ignorant Fool—The Law of Tragic Nuance
I Argue with Everyone. Both Sides Hate Me. Here's Why I Keep Going.
Both!
You’re naming a contradiction a lot of people already understand without needing it translated into consultant dialect.
Leaders say they want flexibility, trust, innovation, and AI adoption.
Then they fund surveillance, strip away autonomy, and act confused when employees don’t welcome the next wave of tech with gratitude.
That is not confusion.
That is cause and effect.
The part I especially like is the implied point that resistance to AI is not always ignorance or fear of change. Sometimes it is pattern recognition. People have learned, correctly, that when leadership says a tool is here to “help,” it too often means more control, more measurement, and one more way to treat human beings like suspicious machinery.