62. Strategy, AI, and the Modern CEO Mandate [2026 Leadership Series]

In this Leadership Advisor series, Karen talks to experts on the challenges and opportunities for leaders in 2026.

Guest: Nick Herinckx, founder and CEO of Oxygen

The operating environment for CEOs and senior leaders has shifted materially over the past five years. Artificial intelligence is accelerating, funding cycles are volatile, remote work is embedded, and expectations around leadership have changed.

In this episode of Grounded and Aligned™, Karen speaks with Nick Herinckx, founder and CEO of Oxygen, about what is structurally different for CEOs in 2026.

Drawing on his work coaching more than 100 CEOs, Nick outlines two persistent tensions: staying focused on strategy while technology evolves rapidly, and building toward a future that current tools cannot yet fully support.

The discussion also addresses a dynamic many senior leaders are now experiencing directly: AI adoption moving bottom-up, with employees experimenting faster than executives.

For VPs and SVPs operating between executive decision-making and frontline execution, this creates both risk and opportunity.

Beyond AI, the conversation examines management capability, remote leadership strain, and the cumulative impact of social media and constant comparison on executive mental health.

Key takeaways:

1. Why CEOs are repeatedly revisiting strategy in response to AI pressure, and how this can stall execution

2. The shift from top-down change to bottom-up AI adoption, with employees often outpacing senior leaders

3. Where silo breakdown is occurring as cross-functional teams collaborate around new tools

4. Why first-time manager development remains a structural weakness in many organizations

5. How remote environments increase the difficulty of culture transmission and emotional reinforcement for senior leaders

6. The underestimated impact of social media and constant comparison on executive mental health and decision-making

Senior leaders hold disproportionate influence over how uncertainty is interpreted inside their organizations. In periods of acceleration, your framing of technology, strategy, and risk directly affects focus, morale, and retention. Clarity and steadiness are no longer secondary qualities, they are operational requirements.

Connect with Nick here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickherinckx/ https://www.leadwithoxygen.com/