Leadership in the Age of AI –  4/7

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.

Faster and more efficient – yes please. But we want to keep the decisions

Leaders are remarkably aligned with what they want from AI: higher productivity, faster problem-solving, and less routine work. But they are equally clear about the limits.

The EGN Leadership Report 2026 shows that AI is primarily seen as an execution partner – not a decision-maker. The greatest benefits relate to efficiency and speed. The greatest concerns revolve around loss of judgment, over-reliance, and unclear accountability.

This reveals a central tension in human–AI collaboration. Leaders are comfortable with AI supporting execution, but far more cautious when it comes to decision-making autonomy.

The more advanced AI becomes, the more important it is to define where technology should support – and where human judgment must remain non-negotiable.

👉 Read more in the full report about how leaders view this balance.