2 July 2026
AI has now become central to business continuity and competitive advantage. It is seen as a key lever for driving innovation, performance and growth. But a clear vision for AI is only the starting point. The real challenge for leaders is how it can be operationalized effectively across the organization.
Lenovo’s Work Reborn report lays this tension bare. More than 70% of employees already use AI tools several times a week, while 80% expect their usage to increase over the next year. Yet between one-fifth and one-third of employees are using AI outside the influence and governance of IT.
This means AI adoption is happening – but not necessarily at the same pace. Workflows become fragmented, with grim implications – greater operational risk, reduced visibility, missed returns on AI investments. What began as a governance challenge now becomes a business challenge. And the longer the execution gap persists, the harder it is to close.
Statistics from Lenovo
of employees use AI tools several times a week
expect their usage to increase over the next year
A powerful AI solution or strategy gets the ball rolling – but you can only score a goal when your people, workflow and platforms are perfectly in sync. So how do you get all three moving toward the same goal?
Recognize that your employees are on the frontline of AI execution. While leaders set the ambition, employees actively turn it into outcomes through the business context and judgment they bring to their work. Success depends on aligning employee readiness with organizational ambition so that AI goals, adoption and ways of working set their sights on the same prize.
Adoption accelerates when AI removes routine effort and is embedded into familiar workflows, not added as a standalone tool. But 51% of employees who receive AI training say it is not regular or ongoing. Leaders should act by equipping employees with trusted tools and continuous training that evolves with AI – so they have the support they need to perform at their best.
Organizations must lay the foundations for secure, seamless human-AI collaboration by standardising how employees interact with systems. Fragmented interfaces increase inconsistency and risk, making it essential to embed security awareness into the flow of work.
Winning the AI race requires building governance before scaling AI, with clear accountability to ensure secure, compliant adoption. A standardized AI interface across workflows and endpoints embeds AI into everyday business execution, so employees are empowered to turn AI tasks into measurable business value.
With millions watching and zero room for downtime, broadcasting a live global sporting event demands real-time decision-making, seamless coordination and uninterrupted performance at every level.
As Official Technology Partner, Lenovo has helped enable AI-driven capabilities for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, demonstrating how enterprise AI can operate reliably at global scale under extreme pressure. It shows what closing the execution gap looks like in practice – where success depends not just on vision, but on delivering consistent, impactful results in the real world.
The AI race cannot be won by ambition alone. As organization move from experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption, the difference between success and failure will come down to how leaders effectively align people, processes and platforms around AI execution.
Those that close the execution gap by connecting big-picture vision with on-the-ground readiness will be the ones to lead their teams to victory – and turn pure potential into proven business wins.
From AI-powered match analysis and referee view broadcast innovation to tournament operations, Lenovo helped deliver the most connected, intelligent, and technologically advanced FIFA World Cup™ in history.
The report highlights measurable gains in climate action, circular economy, social impact, and governance, while reinforcing responsible innovation in the AI era and Lenovo’s continued commitment to ESG programs.
Lenovo has once again been ranked in the Gartner® Supply Chain Top 25 for 2026, achieving its highest-ever ranking at fifth globally.
© 2026 Lenovo. All rights reserved.