Let’s consider the following scenario. In a boardroom, a discussion is taking place about whether to incorporate artificial intelligence to automate processes, reduce costs, and respond to competitive pressure. The first questions arise immediately: How much can we save? What impact will this have on this year’s results? What if the competition gets there first?
The pressure is to decide quickly. The market won’t wait, technology is advancing, and falling behind could threaten the business.
But there is one question that—precisely because of the urgency of the moment—should be the first on the table: Is this decision consistent with our organization’s purpose, or does it merely solve today’s problem?
It’s not hard to understand why that question is often pushed aside. In just a few years, companies have had to adapt at an unprecedented pace: new technologies, regulatory changes, economic uncertainty, cyberattacks, and growing demands from investors, customers, and employees. The agenda never seems to let up. Just as one challenge begins to be resolved, another arises.
Deep down, companies are doing what anyone would do in the face of an avalanche of changes: trying to stay on their feet while everything around them is shifting.
The risk is that, when all energy is devoted to addressing the immediate crisis, decisions become increasingly guided by short-term considerations. Without realizing it, we stop asking ourselves not only which decision is most convenient, but also which is the right one in the long run.
According to the “Quarterly Survey by the National Association of Corporate Directors of the United States: Second Quarter 2026,” just over a year ago, only 27% of board members listed AI among their priorities. Today, that figure stands at 65%. This shows how AI has, in a very short time, come to occupy a central place on the boardroom agenda. Precisely for this reason, today more than ever, we need to remember what we mean when we talk about purpose.
Purpose is not an inspirational phrase on a website or displayed on a frame in the company’s lobby. Nor is it a corporate campaign or a concept designed to make people feel good. It is the expression of what the organization is unwilling to compromise on—such as the principles and values that define who it is, why it exists, and how it creates value. In other words, it is the compass that guides decisions, especially in an uncertain and changing environment like the one imposed by AI and its rapid advancement.
A few years ago, companies recognized the need for a clear purpose. In 2019, more than 180 CEOs of leading companies endorsed a statement from the Business Roundtable that redefined corporate purpose beyond simply generating value for shareholders, incorporating responsibility toward various stakeholders, such as employees, customers, suppliers, and communities.
Based on this, many companies refined their purpose, making it an essential part of their strategy. Concepts such as sustainability, ESG, and value creation took a prominent place on the agenda.
Over time, that conversation began to take a back seat. Not because purpose ceased to be important, but because urgency took center stage.
Today, the challenge is to keep our purpose front and center and return to our roots. We must revisit the principles and values that define us and ask ourselves whether they remain the starting point for our decisions. Because technology may change, markets may evolve, and strategies may adapt, but what lies at the heart of the organization should not be altered simply due to the pressure of urgency.
Only then can we build trust in an environment where artificial intelligence is transforming the way we do business. And that trust is a company’s most important strategic asset. It is built on actions and decisions that are consistent between what a company claims to be and what it actually does—not on empty words or hasty decisions.
AI will continue to advance and bring uncertainty. It will continue to challenge us, creating a sense of urgency and demanding swift decision-making. For this very reason, the criteria by which we make those decisions will be more important than ever. That criteria is the “how,” and that “how” is defined by purpose. Therein lies, ultimately, true responsible leadership.
By Susana Sierra
Published in El Mostrador
