What the research presents
Harvard Business Impact surveyed 1,139 senior leaders. Business initiatives cited include deploying AI (51%), automating workflows (45%), and building innovation capabilities (37%). The report also cites a separate Gartner survey: 50% of consumers prefer brands that avoid generative AI in consumer-facing content. The leadership study is global, not exclusively American.
Original reading: Top Business Challenges and Leadership Strategies for 2026 →Harvard Business Impact · 2026My perspective
My first question is practical: when a business gets faster, does the customer experience actually improve? A quick response helps. An automatic answer that misses the problem can increase frustration.
An appointment reminder can be automatic. An unhappy customer may need a conversation. A system can distribute tasks, but people still need to know who decides when an exception appears. Define that responsibility before buying another tool.
I would look for lost information, repeated work, and moments that need human attention. Technology should give the team time to work better. Automating a confusing process may simply spread the confusion faster.
Are we saving time or shifting work onto the customer?
Bring it to your business
- Map one recurring task from request to delivery.
- Identify automatic steps and decisions that require a person.
- Assign responsibility for exceptions and monitor repeated work.
Independent summary and analysis by Isadora Raymond. The original source and practical commentary are identified separately.