Core Insights - 80% of IT leaders reported increased expectations from senior leadership over the past year, yet only 38% believe their current systems can meet the new demands of AI [1][4] - A significant communication gap exists between senior leaders and I&O teams, with 63% of I&O leaders feeling disconnected from strategic IT discussions [2][4] IT Infrastructure and AI Demands - Only 18% of I&O leaders are confident in their team's ability to meet performance, resilience, and security expectations in the AI era [1] - 65% of I&O leaders believe IT infrastructure is more critical to organizational operations than ever before, but priorities still focus on long-standing challenges like security and performance of remote access technologies [2] Leadership Expectations and Challenges - 83% of I&O leaders feel that expectations on them have intensified, with 61% noting their CEO's frustration over the lack of transparency in IT infrastructure [4] - I&O leaders perceive a misalignment in KPI prioritization, with a majority believing that C-suite expectations regarding performance, resilience, and security are unrealistic given current systems [4] Recommendations for I&O Leaders - Translate infrastructure decisions into business outcomes to better align with C-suite expectations [5] - Engage more actively in strategic planning to design future-ready infrastructure [5] - Advocate for architectural simplicity to avoid reactive fixes and improve overall IT effectiveness [5] - Create ongoing visibility for senior leaders through transparent reporting [8] - Position I&O as a facilitator of safe and rapid AI adoption to build trust with C-level executives [8]