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In a world where innovation is outpacing leadership playbooks, executives need fresh approaches to prepare for tomorrow’s enterprise challenges. On September 9 and 10, a select group of digital and technology leaders gathered in Washington, DC for the Metis Strategy Technology Leadership Institute, a two-day immersive experience designed to help high performers step confidently into enterprise leadership.
Executives from leading organizations, including Viatris, Intuit, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Goodyear, FINRA, Hearst, and Ingram Micro, came together to sharpen their leadership capabilities, learn from one another, and expand trusted networks that will serve them well beyond the event.
Crossing the Chasm in the Age of AI
“What got you here won’t get you there.” That familiar refrain framed the Institute once again, but this time it carried fresh urgency. The rapid rise of artificial intelligence has opened extraordinary opportunities while also heightening the need for technology leaders to stretch beyond execution and into enterprise strategy.
Peter High, President of Metis Strategy, set the tone in his opening remarks, “With the emergence of AI, the role of the CIO and other technology leaders has never been more critical,” High noted. “There has never been a greater opportunity for technology executives to take the reins and drive business outcomes. Yet making the leap from VP to C-suite still requires deliberate action, and that’s the gap this program is designed to close.”
A Curriculum for Future CXOs
Over two days, participants immersed themselves in collaborative sessions tailored to the realities of modern enterprise leadership:
Artificial intelligence was a thread running through every topic. Participants examined how AI will reshape product development, team design, and culture, and how leaders can deploy it responsibly while keeping pace with business demands.
As Chris Davis, Partner and West Coast Office Lead, noted, “Leaders must understand how to operationalize AI responsibly and at speed if they want to keep pace with business demands.”
Building Personal Advisory Networks
The Institute was as much about people as it was about content. Participants candidly shared their growth areas, identified peers who could help them accelerate development, and built personal advisory circles intended to last well beyond the two days together.
Mike Bertha, Partner and Central Office Lead, emphasized the importance of this dynamic, stating, “No leader succeeds in isolation. The Institute gives executives a safe space to learn from one another, build lasting relationships, and strengthen the muscles they’ll need to step confidently into enterprise leadership.”
Those connections grew even stronger outside the sessions. On the first evening, the group gathered for a dinner that sparked lively conversation. Laughter, lively conversation, and shared stories reminded participants that building leadership skills also means building relationships. Over the meal, executives compared leadership challenges, traded perspectives on AI adoption, and debated strategies for scaling cultural change.
Key Takeaways for Leaders
As the Institute concluded, several themes emerged as guideposts for leaders preparing for the next chapter of their careers:
As one executive put it, “If you don’t carve out time to think and read during the day, you’ll never build the perspective required to lead at scale.”
The Path Forward
The Institute underscored that leading in the age of AI is not just about mastering technology but about elevating leadership itself. Success in the C-suite will come to those who can move with speed, scale their influence, and maintain the strategic perspective to guide their organizations through disruption. While technology is rewriting the rules of business, it is leaders who will ultimately define what success looks like in this new era.
