The concept of “Led”
Here in #SanJose anxiously waiting for the start of #IDCDirections2025 ! This will be such an exciting event this year with Bill McDermott , CEO of ServiceNow as a keynote speaker plus a host of amazing presenters across IDC.
While I wait for the event to begin however,
I’ve been continuously thinking about a common theme I am seeing everywhere across my industry, #retail. This is the concept of “Led”.
I’m looking for some illumination here- perhaps I’ll find it at our conference, but everything I read has some sort of “-led” attached to it. Data-led, #AI-led, product-led, vendor-led, partner-led, saas-led, cloud-led, tech-led, engineering-led, and so on…
Now barring light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that are quite common nowadays, the concept suggests that these items are leading (led being the past tense of lead) an organization, a team or group. This makes it that much more difficult to comprehend, particularly because I’m stumped at how an organization would be led, guided, or directed by a board of data or an executive leadership product. While AI may eventually reach that point, the concept is still a bit mind boggling.
What’s more challenging is the underlying theme for most of these organizations - that are usually designed with the purpose of increasing shareholder value, reaping business profits or returns, and enabling continued growth over time- wouldn’t the default tendency be money-led? Or at least business-led or perhaps going-concern-led? Maybe bankruptcy-avoidance-led would be more appropriate.
At the heart of this question is technology- a common theme that is usually a tool rather than a leader for most business organizations, but the tech-led company seems to be quite common- at least during a quick AI search.
In my space (no reference to the Rupert Murdoch-led company purchased in 2005 for half a billion dollars and now obscurity-led shadow of its former state) leaders are primarily humans but what has given me pause is the introduction of AI and its shift in leading the next set of decisions - in the form of a copilot, assistant, advisor or even an agent. Learning more about this at #IDCDirections- #leadership is changing as is how we will be led.
The presentations today mark a unique shift in how we must operate our businesses. There will be leaders, but leadership will be fueled through AI. Can’t wait to see what the AI world will define for us.
Share your thoughts if you have ideas on what the new AI-led world will look like…
![]()
![]()
12
2 Comments
