Welcome to More Than Motivation Monday!

1 day ago
2 min read

June 22nd, 2026

AI, Motivation Inertia and Human Intersection - The Good, Bad and Ugly

Welcome to our new blog post that ties into LEAdeRNship's LinkedIn page and our More Than Motivation Monday posts. (https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadernship-institute-llc/). This blog will expand on ideas that provide practical productivity tips.

Sometimes the hardest part of work is just getting started. AI tools (when used correctly) have been shown to help individuals get started on tasks and be a springboard for ideas. The tools can aid in overcoming the inertia that stems from a lack of motivation while working. There are also downsides to be considered...

The latest issue of Harvard Business Review contained several fascinating articles about the intersection of AI and humans, specifically in the workplace. A set of researchers found that AI can intensify work for staff, specifically by increasing the number of tasks they take on and encouraging "multitasking" by having several AI applications run in the background. It can also lead workers to slip in small prompts and tasks when they would have otherwise taken a break.

If workers are not intentional about their use of AI, it can increase the likelihood of burnout. At LEAdeRNship, we are seeing that leaders across industries are reporting being burnt out. In 2025, at each of one our leadership bootcamp sessions, participants suggested adding a presentation that covered stress and burnout for leaders.

Stress induced by AI has been named "AI brain fry" by a set of researchers. They found that using too many AI tools at once (4 or more), not taking intentional breaks, and reduced connection with humans can all lead to this phenomenon. AI brain fry, is defined in their research as "mental fatigue from excessive use or oversight of AI tools beyond one's cognitive capacity."

Or we feel a simpler way to say it is that the fast pace, vastness of info, and intensity of AI tools are increasing stress and the cognitive load on the humans who use them. The researchers found the top three departments currently experiencing AI fry include marketing, HR and operations.

Several suggestions were proposed to prevent AI fry:

*take intentional breaks (preferably away from the computer)

*have specific expectations about using AI and balanced workloads

*encourage employees to keep learning AI and non-AI skills

We at LEAdeRNship would like to add:

*take intentional time for human connection as work - set up processes and environments that encourage this

*review your work process and procedures to define what AI should not replace

*busy does not equal better - balance expectations of work activity and quality

*if you have an EAP program, remind employees that it is a resource to them, especially when struggling with stress, burnout, and mental health

*And finally - is summertime here - get out, away from the computer, enjoy some fresh air and sunshine!!!

Take care, til next week -

Molly J. Mackey - chief learning officer