In this week’s roundup, we spotlight how AI is transforming leadership, consulting, and marketing at their core. From Jim O’Leary turning his office into a live AI lab, to consulting firms shifting from pyramids to “obelisks,” to the four Ps of marketing being rewritten for an algorithmic age the message is clear: AI isn’t a side tool, it’s a structural reset. These stories show how the organizations that lean in, experiment boldly, and reimagine fundamentals are the ones best positioned to lead in the AI era.

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When the Boss Becomes the Test Bed: AI in the Corner Office

AI adoption in the C-suite often lags behind the hype, but Weber Shandwick’s Jim O’Leary shows what’s possible when leaders lean in. By turning his office into a live test bed for AI, he’s built an ecosystem that saves time, scales his impact, and empowers his team. Fast Company looks at the key takeaways from his journey.

• Why CEOs struggle with AI
  While nearly all CEOs express optimism about AI, many hesitate to adopt it in their daily work. Psychological resistance and a lack of comfort with generative tools often slow usage, even among leaders who advise clients on innovation. Jim O’Leary of Weber Shandwick decided to address this gap by making his own office a test bed for AI adoption.

• Building an AI-powered office
  O’Leary and his team began with clear goals: secure meeting summaries, curated information streams, and a searchable knowledge base of company materials. They added AI agents to automate projects and ensure systems worked together seamlessly. Privacy and security were treated as essential, not optional.

• Scaling the role of the CEO
  The system now processes, organizes, and drafts content that reflects O’Leary’s tone and knowledge. This allows him to scale his insights and outputs, making them accessible beyond his inbox. For example, his AI writing agent can generate all-hands emails using saved memos, curated news, and company documents.

• Time, empowerment, and culture
  O’Leary estimates AI saves him one to two hours daily, which he reinvests in strategy, leadership, and even family time. His personal adoption has encouraged employees to embrace AI, supported by Weber Shandwick’s proprietary platform, Halo. The shift has created not just efficiency but a culture of experimentation and empowerment across the organization.

AI Trailblazer Takeaways: Jim O’Leary’s experiment highlights a truth many CEOs overlook: AI isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about leadership at scale. By embedding AI into the rhythms of his office, he’s freed up time for strategy, amplified his voice across the organization, and sparked a culture of experimentation. His example shows that when leaders personally adopt AI, not just delegate it, they unlock both credibility with clients and empowerment for their teams.

From Pyramid to Obelisk: AI’s New Shape for Consulting

AI isn’t making consultants obsolete, it’s rewriting the industry’s playbook. The traditional pyramid model built on armies of junior analysts is crumbling as AI takes over research, modeling, and synthesis. In its place, a leaner “obelisk” is emerging, where smaller, senior-heavy teams leverage AI for speed, sharper insights, and stronger client relationships. Harvard Business Review looks at how the shift is playing out and what it means for the future of consulting.

• AI is reshaping consulting’s foundation
  For decades, consulting relied on the pyramid model, where junior consultants handled research, analysis, and modeling to support senior leaders. Generative AI is now automating these core tasks, undermining the base of the pyramid. Firms must adapt or risk irrelevance as clients demand faster, leaner, and higher-quality work.

• The rise of the consulting “obelisk”
  A new structure is emerging: fewer layers, smaller teams, and more leverage at every level. The obelisk model introduces three core roles: AI facilitators, engagement architects, and client leaders to blend technical fluency, judgment, and relationship-building. This shift emphasizes speed, sharper insights, and trusted client partnerships over scale for its own sake.

• AI-native boutiques are leading the charge
  Startups like Monevate, SIB, and Unity Advisory are pioneering the obelisk model with AI-first workflows. These firms deliver focused, repeatable value with smaller, senior-heavy teams and far less overhead. Their success shows how consulting can move from labor-intensive delivery to agile, expert-driven engagement.

• Incumbents face cultural and ethical hurdles
  Large firms are incentivized to preserve the pyramid, with compensation, promotions, and staffing models tied to headcount. Even as they invest in AI, many treat it as an add-on rather than a chance to re-architect workflows. To stay competitive, incumbents must embrace governance, retrain talent, and reward outcomes over hours, or risk being outpaced by leaner AI-native rivals.

AI Trailblazer Takeaways: The consulting industry is at an inflection point: AI isn’t eliminating the need for advisors, but it is dismantling the economic engine that powered the traditional pyramid model. As automation takes over research and analysis, value is shifting to smaller, senior-led teams that can marry AI-driven speed with human judgment and client trust. The winners will be those who treat AI not as a bolt-on tool but as the catalyst to reimagine how consulting is structured, staffed, and scaled.

When Algorithms Rewrite the Playbook

The four Ps of marketing: product, price, place, and promotion, have guided strategy for decades, but AI is rewriting each of them beyond recognition. From co-created products to machine-driven distribution, dynamic pricing, and promotions aimed at both humans and algorithms, marketing’s foundations are shifting fast. MarTech delves into how the Ps are being reimagined for the AI era and what it means for brands that want to stay relevant.

• Product: From catalogs to co-creation
  AI is reshaping product design, innovation, and delivery by enabling real-time customization at scale. Instead of static catalogs, consumers can co-create products with AI platforms that translate preferences into producible designs. This shift makes the marketer’s role less about pushing products and more about facilitating seamless, branded experiences of co-creation.

• Place: Distribution in human and machine channels
  Place is no longer just stores or websites but includes AI intermediaries like shopping bots and voice assistants that filter consumer choices. Success depends on making products discoverable to both people and algorithms, requiring structured data and machine-ready content. For marketers, the challenge is not just shelf space but eligibility on an AI’s shortlist.

• Price: Dynamic, personal, and risky
  AI enables hyper-dynamic pricing by analyzing consumer behavior, demand, and willingness to pay in real time. While this can optimize margins and accessibility, it risks eroding trust if consumers feel exploited by invisible or unfair adjustments. In the AI era, fairness and transparency in pricing become as important as profit optimization.

• Promotion: Persuading people and programming machines
  Promotion now targets two audiences: humans who need emotional resonance and machines that control visibility. AI systems compress discovery, filtering reviews, forums, and content into single recommendations that may make or break brand exposure. Marketers must ensure their content is structured for AI retrieval while still telling compelling stories that spark human desire.

AI Trailblazer Takeaways: AI isn’t adding a new layer to marketing, it’s rewriting its DNA. The four Ps that once anchored strategy now operate in a dual world where humans and algorithms share the power of choice. Brands that thrive will be the ones that balance co-creation, machine eligibility, transparent pricing, and hybrid storytelling building trust while staying visible in an AI-driven marketplace.

Quote of the Week

Magnificent 7

Google Unveils New AI Marketing Tools Ahead of Holiday Season (adweek.com)

Links of the Week

How one CEO used AI to scale himself (Fast Company)

AI Is Changing the Structure of Consulting Firms (Harvard Business Review)

The 4 Ps of marketing, reimagined for the AI era (MarTech)

Adobe releases AI marketing agents, orchestration platform | TechTarget (Search Costumer Experience)

What if the $3trn AI investment boom goes wrong? (The Economist)

We must build AI for people; not to be a person (mustafa-suleyman.ai)

Research shows humans are far superior to AI on this business task (Fast Company)

AI wants to help you plan your next trip. Can it save you time and money? (cbsnews.com)

The Question All Colleges Should Ask Themselves About AI (The Atlantic)

Faith in God-like large language models is waning (The Economist)

Oracle takes a breather after AI-powered record run toward $1 trillion club (Reuters)

How Business Executives Can Use AI To Market Their Nonfiction Books (Forbes)

I study AI cheating. Here’s what the data actually says. (Vox)

5 Expert Tips To Get The Most Out Of ChatGPT Every Time You Use It (BGR)

AI-to-AI persuasion will transform marketing in 2030 (adage.com)

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