Rapid AI Uptake Exposes Gaps in Leadership and People Strategy

JourneyHR has joined Unusual Group as UK agencies and professional services firms accelerate their use of artificial intelligence. The London-based consultancy, which specialises in leadership capability, culture and organisational design will now operate within Unusual Group’s agency-growth platform, supporting founder-led businesses seeking to scale without surrendering control.

The partnership between JourneyHR and Unusual Group comes as AI adoption continues to rise across UK small and mid-sized businesses. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that around 15% of UK businesses reported using some form of AI by late September 2024, up five percentage points year on year. Adoption increases sharply with scale, reaching 30% among businesses with 250 or more employees. Uptake is strongest in knowledge-led sectors such as agencies, professional services and technology, where productivity demands and client expectations are accelerating deployment.

Rather than providing conventional HR services, JourneyHR focuses on leadership coaching, cultural architecture and capability frameworks aligned directly to business objectives. The approach reflects a broader shift towards skills-based organisational design as flatter structures and faster decision-making become more common.

Unusual Group CEO Luke Tobin said the partnership reflects a shared belief that leadership and culture should be treated as growth infrastructure, not branding, “If culture and leadership fail, growth fails,” he said.

Among technology SMEs, research from the British Chambers of Commerce shows that 35% are actively using AI, up from 25% in 2024. While AI adoption is accelerating, leadership capacity is coming under growing strain. A global study by talent solutions firm LHH found that 56% of leaders report burnout driven by organisational challenges, while 43% say those pressures have pushed significant leadership turnover. LHH surveyed 2,675 C-suite executives across ten countries, citing market volatility, increased competition and rising costs as the most significant external pressures.

Internally, leaders identified team effectiveness, talent availability and digital transformation as the biggest challenges heading into 2025. JourneyHR’s founders argue these conditions expose the limits of traditional HR models, which they say remain largely compliance-led and disconnected from commercial reality.“Leaders don’t need more HR administration,” said Aliya Vigor-Robertson, Joint Founding Partner at JourneyHR. “They need clarity, capability and confidence as roles, teams and expectations shift under AI.”

As AI becomes a competitive necessity rather than a differentiator, the ability to build resilient leadership and people systems may prove the decisive factor, separating sustainable growth from structural failure.