Executive Guide to Putting AI on the Leadership Agenda: Topics, Rhythm, and Initial Decisions
By Pedro Sonda, dooop
To put AI on the leadership agenda, make it a fixed topic with a defined rhythm (for example, monthly at the executive board and quarterly at the board of directors), assign a responsible person, and cover five recurring items: direction (where AI matters for the business), portfolio (what is ongoing, what to scale, and what to stop), people (how the company is preparing), risks (what rules and controls exist), and results (what has changed in the indicators). In the first 90 days, the central decisions are to appoint a responsible person, create minimum usage rules, select a few priorities, and define how to measure.
Updated in October 2026.
Why Leadership Needs to Lead
| Data | Source |
|---|---|
| High-performing AI companies are twice as likely to report that senior leadership demonstrates commitment to AI initiatives | McKinsey, 2026 |
| 60% of leaders fear their organization lacks vision or a plan to implement AI; heavy AI users are 61% more likely to have heard from their CEO about its importance | Microsoft and LinkedIn, 2024 |
| Among organizations with high AI maturity, 91% have leaders dedicated to AI | Gartner, 2025 |
Interpretation: What leadership does and says about AI sets the company’s pace. Delegating the entire topic to IT usually results in technical initiatives disconnected from the business.
dooop Framework: The 5 Items of the Executive Agenda
| Item | Leadership Question | Suggested Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Direction | Where does AI matter for our strategy, and where does it not? | Semiannual |
| 2. Portfolio | What is ongoing, what is scaling, and what are we stopping? | Monthly |
| 3. People | Are teams and managers prepared? Where is there resistance? | Quarterly |
| 4. Risks | What uses exist, under what rules, and what incidents have occurred? | Quarterly |
| 5. Results | Which indicators have changed because of AI? | Quarterly |
The 10 Questions the Executive Executive Team Should Be Able to Answer
- Who is responsible for the company’s AI agenda?
- What are the three AI priorities, and why those?
- What have we decided not to do with AI?
- How many initiatives are underway, and which have decision dates?
- Do we have an AI usage policy known by employees?
- What company data is being used in AI tools?
- Do managers know how to guide their teams in AI use?
- Which business indicator changed due to AI in the last quarter?
- How are our customers and competitors using AI?
- What is our biggest AI capability gap?
If the executive executive team cannot answer most of these, the first step is a diagnosis; see AI Maturity Diagnosis: What Decisions It Should Produce.
The First 90 Days
| Period | Decisions |
|---|---|
| Days 1–30 | Appoint the responsible person; create minimum usage policy; survey current AI uses |
| Days 31–60 | Define three priorities linked to strategy; prepare managers; build the portfolio dashboard |
| Days 61–90 | Start experiments with success criteria; first portfolio review; communicate changes to the company |
The Role of the Board of Directors
The board does not need to lead the agenda but must ensure it exists: ask about strategy, risks, and results, and require the executive board to have answers to the ten questions.
What to Do Now
- Include the 5 items on the agenda of the next executive executive team meeting.
- Answer the 10 questions honestly and identify gaps.
- Appoint the responsible person for the AI agenda.
To prepare leadership and structure the AI agenda, learn about dooop at dooop.com.br/liderancas-com-foco-em-ia and dooop.com.br/consultoria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should the person responsible for AI be from IT? Not necessarily. They need business vision, cross-departmental access, and a mandate from the executive executive team. IT is an essential partner, but the agenda belongs to the company.
How often should AI appear on the board’s agenda? At least quarterly, focusing on direction, risks, and results.
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About dooop
dooop is a consultancy based in Caxias do Sul (RS) that prepares leadership and organizations to transform artificial intelligence into business capability through strategy, governance, and training.