Leading the Third Workforce: Integrating AI Into Your Team Without Losing the Human Edge

What happens when the future of work arrives and nothing works the way it should?

The company had everything going for it -years of steady growth, a strong market reputation, and a leadership team known for execution. When the pressure to evolve mounted, they did what everyone said they should do: they went all in on AI.

Every function, every process, every corner of the business was touched by automation and intelligent systems, and like everyone else, they expected the same result: skyrocketing growth. But that's not what happened.

In Leading the Third Workforce, Jeff Lupinacci returns to the world of Richard Curtis from The Talent Advantage to examine what happens when technology outpaces leadership, and when AI is implemented without a clear understanding of how work actually gets done. Told through a story shaped by difficult decisions and their consequences, the book traces a transformation that should have worked, and the hard path to putting it back together.

What unfolds reflects a significant change in how work is designed, how ownership is defined, and the assumptions leaders have about an outdated system. Richard is no longer leading one workforce, and until he understands what that means, no amount of technology will save his company.

For more than three decades, Jeff Lupinacci has worked with leaders and organizations to align business strategy with talent. He is known for identifying the right leaders for critical moments-and for helping them step into roles where they can perform at their highest level. Along the way, he has led global talent functions for complex, growth-oriented companies, shaping how they hire, develop, and integrate performance-driving talent. He is the founder of Evolve HR Solutions, where he advises executive teams and private equity-backed businesses on leadership, workforce strategy, and the challenge of building organizations ready for what comes next. His work centers on placing top-tier talent while helping leaders rethink how work is designed and how their businesses operate.Jeff is the author of "The Talent Advantage," an Amazon best-selling business novel on the role of talent in driving growth; the host of The Leadership Puzzle podcast, where he explores how leaders navigate complexity in real time; and an adjunct professor at Baylor University, teaching in the Executive MBA Program.