New IMI research finds leaders see “everything is urgent” as the fastest route to competitiveness loss, and warn digital transformation will stall without behaviour change.
The latest IMI Leadership Pulse (February 2026) captures what senior leaders in Ireland are signalling about competitiveness right now: under pressure, performance is being won or lost in the leadership operating system — how teams prioritise, decide, and execute cross-functionally.
Key findings
- 43% of leaders say the #1 driver of competitiveness under pressure is clear priorities and explicit trade-offs
- 32% point to fast, transparent decision-making
- 43% say the fastest way to lose competitiveness is “everything is urgent” with no trade-offs
- 45% warn digital transformation will be hardest to deliver in 2026 without changing day-to-day behaviours/rituals (“tools are there; habits aren’t”)
What this means for Ireland Inc
Ireland is operating in a context of persistent uncertainty and rising execution demands: from productivity and digital transformation to compliance, talent retention, scaling, and complex delivery. The Pulse suggests a clear constraint: organisations are not short of ambition; they are short of execution capacity under pressure.
When leadership teams cannot make trade-offs, work multiplies, priorities conflict, decisions slow, and cross-functional dependencies become bottlenecks. The result is rework, delivery drag and value leakage, even when strategy is sound.
Commenting on the findings
Shane O’Sullivan, CEO of IMI, said:
“Competitiveness doesn’t arise from doing more when under pressure. It comes from making clearer, braver choices and moving decisions through the system quickly. These findings show that priority overload is a risk to competitiveness. Leaders who outperform will be those who ensure clarity regarding decisions, hardwiring of trade-offs, and cross-functional traction in how they operate every week.”
How IMI is responding
IMI has recently refreshed its Senior Executive Experience to reflect the needs leaders are signalling in the Pulse: sharper trade-offs, faster decision-making, and leadership habits that translate strategy into day-to-day traction.
Ryan Shanks, IMI Director of Strategic Growth and Partnership, said:
“Senior leaders don’t need more theory. They need sharper judgement under pressure and practical moves they can apply immediately. Although messages are tough on occasion, teams appreciate the clarity over indecision. The redesigned Senior Executive Experience helps leaders translate insight into action: clearer priorities, faster decisions, and the habits that make transformation real.”
The findings have also been covered by the Business Post, reflecting the urgency of these themes for Ireland Inc.
Download the full Pulse report here.