Productivity tops CEOs' concerns in Australia & NZ

Productivity pressure has become the top issue facing chief executives in The CEO Institute's Australia and New Zealand network, ahead of economic uncertainty in the group's latest member tracking.

The finding emerged from recurring themes in discussions with 1,027 members, as business leaders weighed how to improve output without adding to staff strain.

Qualitative tracking ranked economic uncertainty second, followed by geopolitical, political and regulatory risk, business reinvention and exit planning, and financial governance and end-of-financial-year pressure.

The results suggest chief executives are discussing productivity in broader operational terms rather than treating it solely as a question of artificial intelligence. Members are linking the issue to workflow design, operating systems, cost reduction, talent management, burnout, financial controls and processes that can scale.

That places the performance debate in a wider business context, as many companies try to control costs, adapt to changing market conditions and prepare for new technology.

Richard Wynn, Chief Executive Officer of The CEO Institute, said the conversations reflected a shift in executive thinking. "CEOs are no longer treating productivity as a technology problem to be solved with a new tool. They're asking much harder questions about how work is designed, how decisions get made, and how much capacity their people actually have left. Productivity has become a whole-of-organisation issue and leaders know that if they get it wrong, the cost isn't just performance, it's burnout," Wynn said.

The CEO Institute's monthly issue tracking is based on themes emerging from syndicate room discussions, feedback from Syndicate Chairs and member conversations. It describes the work as a qualitative reading of what members are raising most often rather than a formal survey.

Beyond AI

The emphasis on productivity over artificial intelligence marks a distinction in how senior leaders are framing current business pressures. While AI remains part of the discussion, members are not treating it as the single answer to weaker performance or rising operational demands.

Instead, the issue appears tied to basic questions about how work is organised and how much additional pressure employees can absorb. That is particularly relevant for employers trying to lift results while also dealing with concerns about engagement, retention and fatigue.

The ranking also points to a crowded agenda for chief executives. Economic uncertainty remains close behind productivity, reflecting continued concern about conditions that can affect demand, investment and planning. Geopolitical, political and regulatory risk also featured prominently, underlining the extent to which external factors remain a boardroom concern.

Business reinvention and exit planning also made the top five, suggesting some leaders are considering structural change rather than short-term adjustments alone. Financial governance and end-of-financial-year pressure rounded out the list, indicating that cash control and reporting discipline remain central issues.

Work design

The broader message from the member network is that productivity is being viewed as a whole-of-organisation problem. In practice, that means discussions are extending beyond software adoption to decision-making structures, management systems, and the design of roles and processes.

Luke Cook, Founder of Cuppa and Cuppa Co-Lab, linked the findings to wider business conversations about performance. "This research confirms what we're hearing everywhere; CEOs know productivity can't be solved by technology alone. That's exactly why we're bringing people together on 10 July: productivity comes from redesigning work, leadership and technology so people can perform better without burning out," Cook said.

The CEO Institute was founded in Melbourne in 1992 and operates peer-to-peer leadership programmes, mentoring and executive education for business leaders. It says it has supported 5,726 members and alumni and runs syndicates across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, alongside online programmes.

The latest findings offer a snapshot of what senior executives are discussing most often as they balance performance demands with workforce pressures.