The key themes that emerged from our CEO study:

Leadership

Flatter, faster, and more flexible structures are succeeding. “This entire experience has made us less bureaucratic, more responsive,” says Alex Gorsky, CEO of Johnson & Johnson, a global producer of medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. The top-performing organizations also put more emphasis on the core value proposition. As Gorsky says, “You have to be ready to go all in.”

Technology

Tech maturity is an even more important performance differentiator, with cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) at the top of the essential tools list. Organizations that invested in these areas performed better than peers during the disruptions of 2020.

Employees

Remote work will be a permanent fixture as part of a hybrid workforce that blends in-person employees with virtual colleagues. This will shift organizational culture and demand new management approaches and upgraded executive capabilities.