Leadership in the Age of AI –  1/7

AI is rapidly transforming the way leaders work, make decisions, and create value. Drawing on insights from nearly 1,800 leaders across 13 countries, our Leadership Report 2026 identifies seven key trends shaping leadership in the age of AI.

This article explores one of those seven trends. Each article can be read on its own – but together, the series offers a broader perspective on what it takes to lead effectively as AI becomes an integrated part of everyday work.

If you want to explore all seven trends in depth, you can download the full report here.

Everyone is using AI – so why can’t we see the real impact yet?

AI is no longer a future scenario. It is already a natural part of everyday work for many leaders and specialists. Organizations are experimenting, testing, and optimizing at scale. Yet many share the same lingering feeling: we should be getting more out of this.

The EGN Leadership Report 2026 highlights a striking paradox. AI usage is widespread, but its measurable impact on business outcomes remains limited. AI helps individuals work faster, more structured, and with higher quality – but these gains often remain individual and difficult to translate into shared value creation.

This suggests that many organizations are in a transition phase. AI is moving faster than leadership structures, measurement systems, and governance models can keep up. The result is fragmented value: local efficiency without clear strategic coherence.

For leaders, this represents a turning point. The question is no longer whether AI is being used – but how its use can be more deliberately connected to strategy, priorities, and measurable impact.

👉 Download the full report here to gain insight into why this gap occurs. The report also allows you to explore the remaining AI trends identified in our research.