On September 29, 2026, the Strategic Management Society and the CEO Forum Group convened CEOs, senior leaders, and strategy scholars for the CEO Summit, Leadership: Making the Important Decisions. The discussion centered on a question at the heart of strategic management today: as AI takes on more of the analytical and operational work of the firm, what does good leadership look like? A consistent answer emerged. AI is changing how leaders make decisions, but not who is responsible for them.
What Leaders Told Us
Live polling of participating CEOs and senior leaders, summarized by Cognizant, CEO Forum Group’s research partner, showed that AI is now firmly embedded in executive decision making: 68% rely on AI when making important decisions, and only 5% say their decision process is largely unchanged. Yet when asked which human capability will create the most value as AI takes on more work, 63% chose relationship building. Looking three years ahead, respondents said the highest-performing CEOs will be distinguished by their ability to build a strong leadership team (48%) and to use human judgment and AI effectively together (41%).
Strategy and Decision Making in the Age of AI
In the SMS-moderated workgroup, Annabelle Gawer, Professor of Digital Economy at Surrey Business School, led a conversation with Jonathan Liebert, CEO of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus (IABBB); Sol Gindi, Head of Wells Fargo Advisors; Phil Le-Brun, Executive in Residence at Amazon Web Services and author of The Octopus Organization; and Daniel Smith, CEO of Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. Four themes stood out:
- AI is a thought partner, not an oracle. Panelists encouraged leaders to use AI to challenge and accelerate their thinking while applying their own judgment, especially for high-stakes, irreversible decisions.
- Differentiation remains human. Because AI tools are widely available, advantage will come from an organization’s culture, context, and data, and from the judgment of its people.
- Invest in the next generation. Cutting entry-level roles for short-term efficiency puts the future leadership pipeline at risk; AI should instead help early-career talent learn faster.
- Accountability stays with leaders. “We’re never going to be able to blame a set of code,” Gindi noted. Every AI-supported process needs a clear human owner.
As Le-Brun put it, “Use them as sparring partners. Don’t use them as an answer generator.” SMS thanks the moderator, panelists, and all who participated in this year’s CEO Summit!
