{
  "id": 15065091,
  "title": "Boardrooms are no longer rewarded for being right, Lumen CEO says, and it means executive partnerships are more important than ever",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/boardrooms-are-no-longer-rewarded-for-being-right-lumen-ceo-says-and",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-16T22:53:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/10/16/ceo-collaboration-uncertainty-lumen-technologies-ey/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the wake of geopolitical uncertainty and the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, executive leadership has had to become more collaborative, according to Lumen Technologies CEO Kate Johnson. Speaking at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in Santa Barbara, California, Johnson emphasized that the traditional approach of relying solely on one's own leadership for tough decisions is no longer viable in today's market. Instead, she stressed the importance of forming executive partnerships, not just within the C-suites but also between them, to build a machine for decision-making. Johnson explained that this involves forming hypotheses, examining signals, and consulting experts inside and outside the business for constant course-correction. IBM's 2026 CEO Study revealed that over 80% of AI-first CEOs are engaging external partners to discuss risks and leverage each other's strengths, driven by the speed of AI adoption and its impact on decision-making cycles. Additionally, a survey by Boston Consulting Group found that 60% of business leaders believe that joint ventures and partnerships will be more crucial for growth over the next three to five years as mergers and acquisitions slow down. Lumen Technologies has already established a strategic alliance with EY to advance autonomous networking with AI, with Johnson's initial connection with EY CEO Janet Truncale arising spontaneously at a Business Roundtable breakfast.",
  "summary": "“We had to come in with a strong opinion. We had to have all the facts we had to master, and that is just not possible in today's market,” Kate Johnson said.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}