Deloitte: What New Pressures Are Strategy Chiefs Facing?

Persistent disruption is redefining the mandate of the modern Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). According to Deloitte's February 2026 Global CSO Survey, strategy leaders are being asked to deliver sharper decisions and faster enterprise impact and macro volatility, accelerating AI adoption and rising expectations from executive teams.

The survey of 148 global strategy leaders reveals growing internal confidence, but also structured gaps that could determine which organisations pull ahead.

One of the survey's main findings is the widening confidence gap. Deloitte reports that 72% of CSOs are optimistic about their organisation's prospects over the next 12 months, while only 24% express optimism about the global economy.

This duality signals a mindset shift: uncertainty is no longer viewed as a temporary shock but as a persistent operating condition.

Almost nine out of 10 CEOs say reinvention is essential to remain competitive, and four in 10 believe the need is immediate.

Competitive dynamics, AI and technology disruption, macroeconomic volatility and uncertain customer demand are the dominant forced reshaping priorities.

In response, organisations are emphasising profitability-led growth. Deloitte finds that reshaping growth strategy is the top priority, closely followed by protecting and expanding margins.

Rather than pursuing growth at any cost, CSOs are reallocating capital toward modernisation, productivity and scalable transformation initiatives, treating cost discipline as an enabler of growth rather than a constraint.

Adam Giblin, US Chief Strategy Officer Programme Lead at Deloitte says this internal confidence comes with heavier expectations: "CSOs are navigating a world where uncertainty isn't episodic, it's the status quo.

"While confidence remains strong in their own organisations, strategy leaders are increasingly tasked to do more with less."

The strategy gap is operational

Despite rising expectations, many CSOs face what Deloitte described as a "strategy gap". More than half of respondents report managing too many priorities with too little time, and roughly half oversee teams of five or fewer direct reports.

The function is increasingly stressed across competing initiatives.

Deloitte's research shows that nearly two-thirds of CSOs now lead cross-functional transformation efforts, and more than half drive enterprise-wide agendas beyond traditional advisory work.

Yet only 35% say they co-lead or own strategic decision-making for the organisation's top priorities.

This mismatch between responsibility and authority is becoming a defining tension in the role, according to Gagan Chawla, US Business Strategy Practice Leader at Deloitte. He says: "While executives see competitive and technological disruption ahead, many CSOs may still lack the bandwidth and authority to fully shape enterprise strategy."

Strategy leaders are heavily involved in execution but often lack formal authority over the most consequential choices. Survey data indicates their time is disproportinately consumed by process management and special projects, while they spend less time on market sensing, competitive analysis and partnership development - the activities most closely tied to strategic advantage.

Gagan adds that closing the gap will require structural change: "To bridge the divide, strategy leaders should reimagine their mandate and champion governance that aligns decision-making power with enterprise priorities to help ensure strategy drives value, not just insights."

AI is becoming the defining test

AI emerges as the survey's clearest fault line. While most organisations are experimenting with the technology, relatively few have embedded it into core strategy.

Deloitte reports hat only 28% of CSOs currently co-lead enterprise AI decision-making, while 39% of companies remain in pilot or early execution stages.

Just 16% are using AI to fundamentally reimagine business lines or create new competitive advantage.

Many strategy teams are using AI tools to accelerate planning, insight generation and performance analysis. A majority (61%) are investing in AI literacy, and over half of respondents expect an enhanced partnership between humans and AI in the strategy function.

However, Deloitte warns that treating AI primarily as a productivity toolkit risks fragmentation and missed opportunity.

Adam stresses that the opportunity is larger than efficiency gains alone: "To turn this confidence into a competitive advantage, CSOs should sharpen strategic choices, embed AI in core strategy and seek out ways to help their organisations make decisions with speed and clarity."