Deloitte has released seemingly pivotal surveys highlighting critical challenges for family-owned enterprises and corporate strategy leaders. These reports underscore the tensions between long-term planning and immediate pressures, offering key insights for executives aiming to build resilient organizations in an increasingly digital and AI enabled environment.
The first survey, focused on family businesses, exposes a striking “succession paradox.”
Despite widespread recognition of its importance, many firms are unprepared for leadership transitions.
According to the research findings, nearly eight in ten executives anticipate a CEO change within the next ten years, with over four in ten expecting it in the coming three to five years.
An overwhelming 85% acknowledge that thoughtful succession planning is essential for sustained success, yet only about half have developed a formal strategy, and fewer than a quarter are putting it into practice.
Alarmingly, three in ten admit their efforts are lagging, often because it’s not viewed as an urgent concern—cited by 62% of those delayed—despite potential risks to operations and finances.
Family involvement adds complexity.
While 61% of respondents note at least one relative eager for the top role, just 23% consider them prepared in the short term.
Company scale influences choices: larger entities with revenues exceeding $1 billion are more inclined to appoint non-family professionals (68%), whereas smaller firms under $500 million split preferences nearly evenly between kin and outsiders.
The shift toward external talent is evident, with three-quarters planning for future non-family CEOs once that path is chosen.
Governance mechanisms play a key role in bridging these gaps.
Firms with revenues between $100 million and $500 million boast boards in 76% of cases, rising to 96% for bigger operations.
Family councils, present in about half of larger companies, facilitate regular discussions on succession—annually for roughly half of those with such structures.
As Deloitte Private’s US Family Enterprise leader Laura Pearson notes, successful handovers demand alignment among stakeholders to preserve core values and avert disruption, emphasizing that “preserving a culture driven by mission and values may be the difference between continuity and chaos.”
Shifting to broader corporate strategy, Deloitte’s 2026 Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Survey reveals a mix of internal optimism and external caution.
Seven in ten CSOs express confidence in their company’s trajectory for the year ahead, but only a quarter feel the same about the global economy.
This disparity fuels a focus on execution amid volatility, with 95% anticipating significant disruptions from competition and AI advancements.
However, CSOs face bandwidth hurdles: over half juggle excessive priorities with limited time, often supported by teams of five or fewer.
Decision-making authority is another bottleneck, with just 35% leading key strategic choices.
AI emerges as a transformative force, yet involvement is uneven—only 28% co-lead related decisions, and a mere 16% leverage it to overhaul business models. Still, there’s progress: half see AI as a collaborator for insights and efficiency, and six in ten are prioritizing AI skills development.
The survey highlights expanding CSO responsibilities, including cross-functional transformations for two-thirds of respondents.
As US Business Strategy Practice leader Gagan Chawla observes, bridging the divide requires rethinking mandates to align power with priorities.
Similarly, CSO Program lead Adam Giblin stresses sharpening choices and embedding AI to convert confidence into advantage in a persistently unpredictable environment.
These Deloitte updates signal a call to action: whether in family firms or large corporations, proactive planning and adaptive strategies are vital for thriving beyond 2026.