How AI transformed my CEO role at Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick North America CEO Jim O'Leary's interview with Fast Company reminds us that #AI isn’t just an abstract concept for tomorrow—it’s a top-down strategy shaping how we operate today. And just like Jim articulates, I believe the magic in AI is not just in automating tasks but in scaling ourselves...especially for professional #Communicators where our value is our brains. I use the Weber Shandwick HALO AI platform every.single.day. My use has transitioned from fast start research to thought partnership. This begins with a detailed prompt outlining the AI’s persona, the problem they are helping me solve, and always includes an iterative discussion to refine ideation. As someone with an #ADHD-powered brain bursting with ideas, HALO has revolutionized how I scale my brain and accelerate big idea and blue sky thinking to coherent, structured recommendations and strategic plans. Who knew AI would be an answer to better harnessing #neurodivergent thinking. How are you using AI today?

As someone working to significantly scale how we leverage AI in our marketing teams at LinkedIn, two things I really appreciate about Jim O'Leary ‘s approach: 1) He and his team were clear up front about the value they wanted to unlock via AI (vs a scattershot, unfocused approach) as well as what the non-negotiables were 2) They recognized that iteration and customization would be necessary to actually unlock the “magic” - nothing is delivered in complete form wrapped in a shiny bow in most cases, especially for more complex systems and organizations

AI is a super-power. But only if you don’t guess at how to use it. We help Industrial Execs find overlooked growth. Key takeaway - executives must understand AI themselves if they are to lead it. A lot of hype in the AI space right now.  We sense a shakeout coming. Contrast that with a very interesting article on how a CEO at a communications consultancy leverages AI. Note the types of uses that they have centered on.  Not strategy. Not creative tasks. Core focus: language processing and information access. Example types of uses: summarize meetings gather and prioritize information knowledge repository & querying drafting communications This is where the core competence of AI LLM’s lie.  It’s the fundamental that you’ll see survive the hype. It’s what I’ve written about before: https://lnkd.in/d7czB3UJ What's your best AI use case? 👇🏼 🔁 SHARE to HELP others Separate hype from reality. ⛽️ SUBSCRIBE to FUEL UP - see Profile https://lnkd.in/dfM_x7yE

"If I’m going to advise clients, I need to master for myself what I’m advising them on." North American CEO and Global President Jim O'Leary discusses AI in the C-Suite, sharing with Fast Company's Stephanie Mehta how he's turned his office into a test bed for AI innovation to help scale his role. From saving hours each day to empowering his team to think bigger, dive into the learnings and opportunities created from this bold approach to leadership: https://bit.ly/4ncxBVk

CEOs appear to love artificial intelligence (AI). Nearly 95% of chief executives and founders running Inc. 5000 companies—the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the U.S.—say they are optimistic about AI’s potential to run their operations. That’s up from 91% who held that same opinion in 2024. Nearly two-thirds of CEOs surveyed by IBM say they currently are adopting AI agents—software that autonomously performs tasks. https://lnkd.in/dC3EJFyu #CEO #AI #ScaleHimself

A room full of businessmen, each worth at least ₹50 crores, and they're all asking one question: "We know we need AI... but where do we start?" I had the privilege of introducing Akshay Bardia, MD at Accenture, to an audience of high-net-worth business leaders, where he tackled this exact question. Because here’s the truth: most of us have dabbled in AI tools. We’ve asked it to draft emails, brainstorm strategies, or maybe even generate blog posts. But when it comes to building actual systems and processes with AI, it can get overwhelming. And with agentic AI becoming the latest buzzword, the question isn't whether to adopt AI anymore - it's where the hell do you even start? Akshay broke it down beautifully with five practical lessons: 💡 1. Lead with Value, Not Hype Stop chasing shiny use cases. Open your P&L. Where are your BIGGEST EXPENSES? That's your starting point. AI should solve real business problems, not just impress at board meetings. 🏗️ 2. It’s a Business Play, Not Just Tech Agentic AI isn’t plug-and-play. If vendor coordination costs are killing your margins, fix that before thinking about chatbots for marketing! But to do this, you need a digital backbone. No digital backbone = no AI. 👩💻 3. Your Workforce Needs to Evolve Work is changing faster than ever. Your team must upskill, not just adopt tools. The priciest AI system is useless if your people can’t leverage it. 🔒 4. Build Responsibly Privacy isn’t optional. Just GPT isn’t enough — you need secure, compliant, OWNED AI solutions. Responsible AI is more than ethics; it’s good business. 🔄 5. Commit to Continuous Reinvention AI adoption isn't a one-time project. It's an ongoing transformation that requires constant evolution and adaptation. The reality? Most businesses are stuck in analysis paralysis. They know AI will transform everything, but they're overwhelmed by where to begin. Proud to have facilitated this conversation with Akshay, and excited to see how business leaders here start turning AI talk into AI action!

BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP (BCG) CEOs Aren’t Thinking Big Enough with AI Key Takeaways: Many organizations have deployed AI tools. But to build true competitive advantage, CEOs must look beyond efficiency gains and boldly reimagine workflows, products, and services. - AI can unlock major growth opportunities by reshaping an organization’s core workflows and transforming customer experiences. - Forward-thinking companies also can use AI to create innovative new products, opening paths to entirely new markets and revenue streams. https://lnkd.in/g9ZG6x8e - To capture these opportunities, CEOs must personally lead innovation, set goals, fund focused experiments, and create a culture that embraces strategic risk-taking.

Only 5% of companies are winning at AI. The other 95% are watching the gap widen every single day. BCG's latest research reveals a stark reality about AI investments. While a tiny elite generates real value, 60% of companies see minimal returns despite pouring money into AI. The winners aren't just succeeding—they're pulling away at an accelerating pace. 𝗞𝗘𝗬 𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗘 𝗚𝗔𝗣: Top performers generate 1.7x more revenue growth and 1.6x higher profit margins than laggards. 𝗥𝗘𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗖𝗬𝗖𝗟𝗘: Leading firms plan to spend 120% more on AI in 2025, creating a vicious cycle for competitors. 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗨𝗥𝗘: Lagging companies delegate AI strategy to middle management instead of CEO-level ownership. 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗖𝗨𝗦: 70% of AI value comes from reinventing core workflows, not automating existing processes. 𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗔𝗜: Autonomous AI agents already account for 17% of total AI value and will reach 29% by 2028. 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗚𝗬: Winners upskill over 50% of staff while laggards focus on job cuts. 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗖𝗛: Leaders operate centralized AI platforms, not disconnected experiments. 𝗗𝗘𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗬𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘: Top firms have 62% of AI initiatives deployed versus just 12% for struggling companies. Imagine two retail companies investing the same amount in AI today. One has CEO-level sponsorship and redesigns customer service workflows with AI agents. The other runs pilot projects without clear ownership or measurable targets. In 12 months, the first company sees double the revenue impact while the second struggles to scale anything. The gap becomes permanent as winners reinvest gains while losers remain stuck in proof-of-concept limbo. BCG's "10-20-70 rule" makes it clear: 70% of effort must go to people and processes, not technology. The biggest barriers aren't technical—they're organizational, strategic, and cultural. Companies that wait will find the window for catching up has closed forever. Is your organization treating AI as a CEO-level transformation or just another IT project? Drop your thoughts below—I'd love to hear what's working (or not working) in your AI journey. #ArtificialIntelligence #AIStrategy #DigitalTransformation #BusinessLeadership #Innovation #FutureOfWork

🤖 𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 (𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧) 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦? 𝐈𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧. That's according to this paper by Stanislav Shekshnia and Valery Yakubovich who spoke to more than 50 board chairs in the course of their research. ☑️ They found that AI can lead to better preparation and smarter decisions. ❎ But there are risks, including data leaks and being too influenced by past events. Most boards are nowhere near embracing "AI colleagues", but many are exploring the pros and cons of using AI in the boardroom. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘴? 👇 𝟏. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 ↳ Begin with one-on-one conversations. ↳ Gauge each director’s AI literacy. ↳ Explore how they might apply AI in their board role. ↳ Surface real or imagined concerns. ↳ Provide personalised learning, ideally through hands-on coaching. 𝟐. 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 ↳ Start small. ↳ Encourage directors to use the same LLM for a few meetings. ↳ Let them craft their own prompts during preparation. ↳ Debrief afterwards as a team. 𝟑. 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐦 ↳ AI adoption isn’t a one-time project. ↳ Tools evolve, and so will the board’s comfort with them. ↳ Chairs should reinforce good habits and set the tone. 🎤 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬? Is your board embracing AI? Any non-humans in your boardroom? #Leadership #AI #BoardEffectiveness #FutureOfWork 🚴 Enjoy posts like this? 👉 Click 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 to get my quarterly roundup

If you're like me, you follow voices who you don't always agree with, but who have a valuable perspective to share. Yesterday I teased my new company, MirrorPond Growth Partners, which I'm excited to say is officially out of stealth mode. We are a new kind of AI consultancy that thinks very differently about the problem at hand than the big 4, and nearly all of the other mid- to small-sized shops we've talked to along the way. Different how? Well it just so happened that yesterday, Geoffrey Colon and Isabelle Bousquette of The Washington Post were discussing Isabelle's excellent reporting on the failures of companies to adopt #AI (95% have yet to make real progress), and the failures of consultants working with these organizations to deliver solutions that demonstrate impact and scale. Auspicious timing, and incredible validation of our hypothesis. The boundaries are blurring between roles, and soon the same will be true for departments. As teams flatten, collapse, and transform in front of our eyes, new operating models are being written. We believe: + Companies must think holistically about their AI strategy across the entire organization + This means zooming up a level and a) creating true (not imagined) alignment on a shared vision for the future, and b) creating a shared language and value system that delivers clarity on the role of AI for the company, and the behavioral changes required to drive the transformation you seek + This also means creating clear ownership and accountability for AI strategy, implementation, and adoption within organizations, to maximize the impact of investments across teams + Finally, first impressions matter. Wow factor builds momentum. Building only for incremental progress misses the opportunity to create the sparks that move team members from complacency to curiosity and self-actualized innovation Context matters. Storytelling matters. In a moment as fraught as the one we are in now, organizations need more than process improvements. They need consultants who can see new futures, and offer a blend of creativity, humanity, and technical ability to help them get there. I wrote a post introducing MirrorPond and our new content series on Substack (link in comments), which goes deeper on what we are building. Please share and follow along on your platform of choice. What a time to be alive! This is just the beginning... ---- PS - Geoffrey Colon big fan of your work. Would love to connect if you would find value in that. Either way, all press is good press, I hope? ;) #transformation #AI #creativity #storytelling #growthisliquid