CEO Shortlist: Green-tech unicorns are coming

Tech is a bigger story than ever—in our businesses, societies, and economies. In this edition of the CEO Shortlist, Liz Hilton Segel and I look closely at four ways leaders can harness technology to pull ahead of their peers. We hope you enjoy the read.

What’s new

Unsung heroes. It’s been the constant refrain for the past year: gen AI is a critical new technology that stands to profoundly affect business and society. But leaders who are all in on gen AI risk getting left behind on other tech developments that are also shaping the modern business landscape.

Make sure you’re not wearing blinders. Check out “Ten unsung digital and AI ideas shaping business,” a new article by Kate Smaje and Rodney W. Zemmel .

What’s now

A timetable for tech trends. It can sometimes be hard to keep up with the fast-moving world of tech. CEOs, CIOs, tech leaders, and board directors can use our interactive to get a read on the 42 tech trends changing business today—and make sure they’re on board the right trains.

Plan your trip with “Hitchhiker’s guide to technology: 42 shifts that matter to enterprise tech leaders,” by Klaas Ole Kürtz , Dr. Chandrasekhar Panda , Henning Soller , and Niels Van der Wildt .

What’s next

Lapping the competition. The distance between digital and AI leaders and other industry players is big, and it’s getting bigger. Digital and AI, when implemented well, offer compounding advantages to leaders. As the technologies improve, companies are poised to reap ever bigger benefits.

Explore the latest research in “Rewired and running ahead: Digital and AI leaders are leaving the rest behind,” by Bryce Hall , Eric Lamarre , Rob Levin , Johannes-Tobias Lorenz, and Pamela Simon .

What’s needed

Putting money on green. The next unicorns may not be rainbow colored, but green. However, for businesses working in green steel, carbon removals, and renewable energy to achieve their immense potential, they will have to chart a new path to funding.

Learn how private capital, venture capitalists, and other tech investors can play a role with “A different high-growth story: The unique challenges of climate tech,” a new article by Michael Birshan , Lisa Leinert , Tomas Naucler , and Werner Rehm .

We hope you find these ideas inspiring and helpful. See you next time with four more McKinsey ideas for the CEO and others in the C-suite.

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