The more technology we get, the more leadership matters

That is my strongest reflection after day 1 at the Oslo Business Forum 2026.

This year's theme, The Human Edge, was spot on.

Much of the day was not really about technology. It was about what it takes for people and organisations to succeed when technology changes the premises.

Gary Hamel put something essential into words through the contrast between seeing «human beings as resources» and «human beings as resourceful».

That says a lot about how we design organisations.

Do we build for control, hierarchy and compliance? Or do we create frameworks where people are given trust, accountability and the opportunity to use their judgement as close as possible to where value is actually created?

The same perspective runs through transformation and AI.

Technology can improve decisions, workflows and productivity. But lasting value requires far more than the technology itself. It requires good data, competence, governance, clear direction and leaders who can bring people along through change.

That is also much of what I focus on in my work on commercial leadership and transformation.

Strategy and technology only create value when they are translated into new decisions, new ways of working and execution in the organisation. See also From strategy to execution.

And fortunately, conferences are about more than what happens on stage.

It was especially nice to meet Heidi Omberg again, who I was in a colloquium group with during Strategic Leadership on the Master of Management at BI around twelve years ago. Also great to see «OBF general» Christoffer Omberg again, together with several of his colleagues at Oslo Business Forum. A skilled team!

After day 1 I am left with a lot of energy and one clear thought:

Technology grows more powerful. That does not make people less important.

It raises the bar for how we lead, organise and execute change.

And I am already looking forward to day 2, which if possible will be even more exciting with more AI, transformation and value creation on the agenda.