The New Rules for Becoming an Enterprise Leader

Jul 14, 2026 · 31 min

What does it take to succeed in an enterprise-level leadership role today? Michael Watkins, professor at IMD and author of the book The First 90 Days, says that the leap from functional or business line manager to a more senior position is tricker than ever owing to three factors: AI, geopolitical complexity, and compressed leadership pipelines. He explains what that means for executives aspiring…