---
id: "action-secure-executive-sponsorship"
type: "action-item"
source_timestamps: ["§ 1. Executive sponsorship"]
tags: ["governance", "leadership"]
related: ["claim-c-level-sponsorship-necessity", "framework-four-pillars-of-ai-success", "entity-cooper-standard"]
action: "Secure C-level or board sponsorship to protect AI projects with indirect or delayed ROI."
outcome: "Protection of AI investments during early stages of uncertain ROI, allowing high-potential projects to mature."
source_url: "https://hbr.org/2025/01/what-companies-succeeding-with-ai-do-differently"
source_title: "What Companies Succeeding with AI Do Differently"
sources: ["execution"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-execution"
originDay: 8
articleStem: "hbr-cl-89-companies-succeeding-with-ai"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/01/what-companies-succeeding-with-ai-do-differently"
sourceTitle: "What Companies Succeeding with AI Do Differently"
---
# Secure C-Level Sponsorship for AI

**Action:** Ensure AI initiatives have explicit backing from the **CEO or board**.

**Why:** AI projects often yield **indirect benefits** (e.g., freed employee time) or **delayed ROI**, so executive cover is necessary to protect the investment during early uncertainty and to direct resources to the highest-potential projects.

**Expected outcome:** High-potential projects survive early failure and mature into value — as in [[entity-cooper-standard]].

Implements pillar #1 of [[framework-four-pillars-of-ai-success]]; grounded in [[claim-c-level-sponsorship-necessity]]. Balance with distributed line-manager ownership for scaling.


## Related across articles
- [[concept-executive-buy-in-tactics]]
- [[claim-leadership-drives-roi]]