Few topics dominate boardrooms and headlines today like generative AI. At a recent event in Tokyo, 50 C-suite executives gathered to discuss this transformation. The conversation touched on the latest hot topics—agentic AI, DeepSeek, risk, energy requirements. But what stood out most was how the conversation has shifted over the past year, from one focused on novel technological use cases to one zeroed in on achieving real business results.

Scaling AI has become integral to executives’ strategic agenda, but many still feel stuck in experimentation mode. They face a massive change management challenge.

One place to look for inspiration on navigating this moment is the tech industry itself. This sector has long had the highest rate of disruption relative to other industries, something that would seem to favor small start-ups. But a select group of household names have managed change with exceptional longevity. In Bain & Company’s annual Technology Report, my colleagues Matthew Crupi, Chris Johnson, and David Crawford offer insights on how these giant survivors manage change so effectively, lessons that I believe are applicable to any industry.

Despite the rapid pace of technological change, of which generative AI is the most recent example, turnover among the top tech firms has slowed in recent years. Of the five most valuable technology companies in 2024, four were on the list in in 2019, and three—Microsoft, Apple, and Alphabet (then Google)—have been there since 2009. A decade ago, the top five tech companies earned just 34% of the industry’s profits. Today, they claim 64%—a sharp consolidation of power.

How have these leaders avoided getting stuck in the status quo? How do they pivot and embrace disruption?

Not every industry operates at tech’s scale, but the principles behind these leaders’ success are universal. Here are six lessons from tech companies that are equally pertinent in any industry.

Tech’s lasting leaders have figured out not just how to weather disruption but how to actually shape it. Their ability to self-disrupt, sense change early, invest in the future, leverage scale, acquire strategically, and build ecosystems offers a blueprint for mastering change in any industry.