The AI Conversation CEOs Are Not Having Out Loud

LeadershipCMO NetworkThe AI Conversation CEOs Are Not Having Out LoudByBrian Solis,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I help executives track and innovate against business disruptions.Follow AuthorJun 09, 2026, 08:15am EDTJun 09, 2026, 10:03am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Portrait of male CEO in big corner office, looking out of window, at sunsetgettyAI is now firmly on CEO and board agendas. But many leadership teams are still asking the wrong questions. Recently, I led three workshops with roughly 100 CEOs and Chief Operators from some of our favorite restaurant and fast-food companies at a leadership conference in Arizona.The topic was AI. But the real conversation was leadership.These were honest conversations with operators who are under daily pressure to grow revenue, protect margins, improve customer experience, support stretched teams, open better organizations, retain talent and make faster decisions in a more complex operating environment.What became clear is that CEOs feel the pressure. Their boards are asking about it. Their teams are experimenting with it. Vendors are pitching it. Competitors are talking about it. The headlines only make everything more confusing.But beneath the urgency is something much more revealing, but often kept quiet.Many CEOs know AI is going to change their business, but they do not yet know how to lead through it. The recent CEO departures at Coca-Cola and Walmart signaled as much.MORE FOR YOUThat is not something most CEOs are going to say out loud in a boardroom or at an all-hands meeting (unless they’re already on their way out). CEOs are expected to project clarity. They are expected to have conviction. They are expected to know where the business is going.But in a trusted setting, the more honest version surfaced: “I know this matters. I know we need to move. But I’m not sure where to...