Requiem from a Robot: Conducting hybrid symphonies of humans + AI

Not science fiction, this is the new reality of performance management

What happens when half your orchestra isn’t made up of people, but of AI agents? That’s not science fiction — it’s the reality many leaders face today as frontline work is reshaped by generative AI.

In a new paper, Requiem from a Robot: Conducting hybrid symphonies of humans + AI, Jonathan Hodge explores what it means to lead in this moment of disruption. Drawing on the Symphony performance management model and new research from Stanford, he offers a practical guide for leaders and talent professionals navigating hybrid teams of humans and machines.

Key insights from the paper:

• The score has changed. With AI, workflows evolve overnight. Leaders are conducting music that is still being written.
• The orchestra has changed. Some roles once filled by people are now performed by AI “agents.” Leaders must discern when to treat these systems as tools — and when to imagine them as teammates — without confusing accountability.
• The mirror remains. In Symphony, leaders learn to pause and ask: What did I fail to provide? That mirror still applies, but the questions shift when the performer is a machine.
• The inner and outer game matter equally. Outer game skills — setting expectations, providing resources, diagnosing breakdowns — remain essential. But the inner game — reflection, presence, and discernment — has never been more critical. Coaching and integrative learning experiences help leaders build this capacity.

Why it matters

For frontline and mid-level leaders, this paper provides concrete practices for managing hybrid human/AI teams. For talent and learning professionals, it highlights how to blend performance systems like Symphony with coaching, integrative learning, and collective reflection to develop leaders at pace with change.

Read the full paper!

Download the full article and explore how to hold the baton differently in the age of AI: