The riskiest disruption isn’t necessarily the one coming. It may be the one CEOs refuse to lead.Today’s leadership mandate requires more than long-term strategy. In a recent interview with McKinsey’s Eric Kutcher, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna had advice for fellow leaders: “You’ve got to be willing to ‘do’: As opposed to getting disrupted by somebody else, disrupt yourself while you still have the cash flow and clients who value your capabilities.” That same urgency runs through recent conversations with CEOs on AI. Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson has been clear that this revolution can’t be delegated to a task force or tucked neatly under “innovation.” It requires CEO ownership. Meanwhile, Citi CEO Jane Fraser has argued that the goal of AI transformation isn’t automation layered onto old workflows—but redesign from the ground up.
