egta Talks with Jack Myers: Leadership, AI, and the Future of Media

AnneLaure As a longtime egta friend I39m sure you agree that TV is a people business where relationships make all the difference While it39s true that the industry is increasingly driven by data and technology people still play a crucial role One of your recent books explores leadership and how it is transforming in the age of AI particularly through The Tao of Leadership Do you think our business is shifting from a peopledriven industry to a datadriven oneJack Myers Oh absolutely Back when I was selling for CBS Television I would call on agencies and clients and maybe I needed to know two dozen key people managing the business for a major client or agency Today that number has grown to 2000 people each touching a piece of the business from start to finish whether it39s procurement teams on the client side inhouse agencies external agencies or data centres By the time the process reaches the stage where personal connections come into play itamp8217s almost at the very end of the planning and buying processAnneLaure I agree that technology has transformed the industry but if it were truly a datadriven business wouldnamp8217t we be much more objective about how ad spend is allocated In reality spending decisions still seem to be influenced by subjectivity industry hype and trends like the push to be on social media to reach younger audiences despite issues like misinformation and flawed data reporting Given the recurring scandals on digital platforms why do you think these challenges donamp8217t seem to significantly impact advertising decisionsJack Myers I agree data hasnamp8217t been particularly beneficial for the television business The more data we39ve introduced into the model the more commoditized the industry has become As a result budgets have shifted more towards digital platforms Meta Google TikTok and now even retail media where billions of dollars are flowing inData has taken over and it39s made it increasingly expensive for TV networks to invest in all the different currencies that keep emerging Agencies are leveraging these currencies to negotiate better deals and it39s also contributing to the commoditization of the industry The people side of the business especially the creative and ideadriven parts like sponsorships have become less and less relevant to clients as they focus more and more on dataAnneLaure Iamp8217d like to start by asking you what your definition of a leader is because we often associate leadership with Csuite executives or top management the quotbig bossquot that most of us donamp8217t interact with on a daily basis But the truth is there are leaders at every level within a company Who in your opinion would benefit most from reading your book and how can it help transform their understanding of leadership in todayamp8217s worldJack Myers My book The Tao of Leadership in the AI Era is centered on the idea of harmonizing technological innovation with human creativity The definition of leadership is evolving becoming more humanistic Itamp8217s a return to some timeless principles and I draw inspiration from Taoism which dates back 3000 years in ancient ChinaI define leadership today using five core Taoist principles harmony flexibility balance stability and integrity Whatamp8217s interesting is that when I initially developed these principles I didnamp8217t consciously link them to Taoism But upon reflection I realized they align perfectly with its teachingsHarmony isn39t about avoiding conflict itamp8217s about alignment bringing people together with a shared purpose Flexibility is essential in a world of constant disruption Rigid organizations fail but those that can adapt thrive Balance is crucial AI brings speed but leaders bring soul Itamp8217s the art of blending efficiency with empathy creating organizations that are not just highperforming but deeply human Stability is about grounding your organization in shared values and a clear collective vision for the future while integrity serves as the foundation of trust doing whatamp8217s right not just for shareholders but for society as a wholeIn industries like television where organizations must consolidate capabilities and break down silos leadership with integrity and empathy is more important than ever We must shrink teams yet do so in a way that recognizes the human implications and builds them into our leadership model So at its core leadership today is defined by these five principles harmony flexibility balance stability and integrityAnneLaure How do you practically apply the principle of harmony in such a challenging environment Youamp8217ve mentioned some of the issues TV sales houses and the industry at large are facing today but what we often hear in the press is far from harmonious Thereamp8217s pressure from stakeholders for better bottomline performance networks pushing for more revenue and management struggling to get teams to embrace transformation especially when the infrastructure is still outdated This often leads to difficult decisions job cuts costsaving measures and a shift in how people work all of which can create friction How do you navigate all of this while maintaining harmony and do you have any concrete strategies for making it happenJack Myers Thatamp8217s the key question Itamp8217s about asking the right questions today just as much as having the answers In my book I lay out a blueprint for leadership in the AI era Weamp8217re undergoing a technological shift that is far greater than anything we39ve experienced before in our business When we introduced cable to the broadcast model it was a big change and we had to adapt But this is different itamp8217s not about transforming the past or building bridges to the future Itamp8217s about building portals to entirely new realities in our business There are new capabilities new resources and we have to figure out how to maintain our current business models while simultaneously introducing completely new onesI suggest following an 8020 rule 80 of the television media buying and selling business is becoming commoditized and datadriven while 20 of your inventory your most valuable inventory should be focused on an ideabased culture using AI to help develop those ideas AI is extraordinary for learning research and understanding What used to take consultants millions of dollars and months of research can now be done in minutes using AI tools like ChatGPT You can quickly learn about client needs goals and strategies and then apply that to your own inventory opportunitiesAI offers so many possibilities many of which are still yet to be fully realized Thatamp8217s the challenge The speed at which technology is advancing today is so fast that itamp8217s hard for humans to keep up So take that 20 of your inventory and get creative with it Be open to innovation and experiment with how you use itAnneLaure So do you allow your whole team to be creative with 20 of inventory Is this something thatamp8217s encouraged at the management level or is it more of a bottomup approach where ideas are thought of outside the box Or do you see this purely as a leadership functionDoes everyone have the potential to be a leader I no longer believe in a strict hierarchy Experience is no longer a prerequisite for responsibility and knowledge and experience arenamp8217t necessarily the best tools for moving forwardJack Myers I believe that the youngest and newest people in an organization are often the best ones to turn to for fresh ideas Give them the opportunity to ask quotWhat would you doquot and quotHow do we utilize where technology is headed not just where it is todayquot We need to break away from the data models that are driving commoditizationIn many ways it39s a return to the roots of the television business If you think about how the original television business model and the Upfront model were built it was centred around sponsorship specifically single program sponsorships I do think thereamp8217s a lot of untapped potential in sponsorship To do it effectively you need to truly understand your client base and that requires research This is where AI can be incredibly helpfulAnneLaure Sponsorship is closely linked to live events like sports which have always been a foundation of TV This makes sponsorship opportunities highly effective and relevant it makes a lot of senseJack Myers I also believe there are tremendous opportunities in news programmingAnneLaure Even in news programming AI could potentially replace journalists as we39ve seen cases where a single journalist39s work is translated into multiple languages something that previously required multiple journalists in different locations However in sports I don39t think we39ll be replacing football players with AI anytime soon That aspect of the industry will likely remain very human and live events will continue to bring people together in ways that won39t change anytime soonJack Myers Let me offer a thought on creativity Throughout history every major technological disruption has been accompanied by a surge of creativity Take the printing press in the 1500s which sparked the Renaissance with Leonardo da Vinci embodying the intersection of technology and creativity much like Steve Jobs did in his time The rise of the internet led to an explosion of usergenerated content with platforms like YouTube and TikTok fueling creativity that was waiting to be unlockedWeamp8217re at a similar moment today on the cusp of a creativity explosion We could sit here and brainstorm ideas all day but creativity is already bubbling up much like lilies growing beneath the surface of a pond Eventually they will bloom and soon the pond will be coveredThis is the opportunity for TV houses sellers and buyers to be open to this creativity to not be so tied to legacy business models data or the traditional funnel TVamp8217s core value has always been emotion the ability to use creativity to create a human connection between the brand and the consumer But today itamp8217s increasingly focused on just driving transactions and thatamp8217s not a healthy direction for the industryAnneLaure It39s true that weamp8217re seeing TV move further down the funnel with many of our members emphasizing that TV is an outcomedriven media Theyamp8217re focusing on proving the effectiveness of TV using outcomesbased KPIs not just reach for the sake of reach Do you think that this shift is causing TV to lose sight of its core values and should we be focusing more on the top part of the funnel insteadJack Myers The economics clearly show that the further weamp8217ve moved from TVamp8217s core values its unique ability to use video and audio to drive emotional connections the more we39ve focused on responding to the digital media marketplace As a result the market cap of television companies has consistently declined while the market caps of companies like Amazon Meta and Google Alphabet have exploded The economics definitely confirm what you39ve just saidTV is doing both its the 8020 rule So 80 of your business is moving toward that data built commoditized commerce media which needs to be viewed as an opportunity as well But 20 should be put into future based ideasAnneLaure I like the term weamp8217ve coined amp8220datainfused legacy mediaamp8221 It reflects the idea of keeping the power of the traditional media knowledge understanding your audience their preferences and cultural context while infusing it with data to transform into a digitally led business Itamp8217s a whole new business modelThis brings me to the younger generation Thereamp8217s a lot of talk about Gen Z and even Generation Alpha now These generations seem to be carrying their habits with them While weamp8217ve often said that once they reach certain life stagesamp8212like becoming parents theyamp8217ll return to linear TV that doesnamp8217t seem to be the case anymore Theyamp8217re continuing with their digital habits logging into platforms like Netflix HBO and even YouTube instead of sticking with traditional linear channelsIf we bring this conversation to the workplace where your book focuses on leadership and transformation what do you think the younger generations expect from the workplace today thatamp8217s so different from what current leaders understand What might be surprising to leaders about what younger generations really want and needJack Myers Thatamp8217s an interesting question Iamp8217ll go back to the 8020 rule and how I see the future unfolding Ten years from now your organization should be 80 focused on the human relationships with agencies and clientsamp8212on the opportunities creativity ideas collaboration and coordination The remaining 20 will be about navigating and managing the machines which will become very taskoriented and datadriven Machine intelligence is advancing so rapidly that humans will rely on machines to manage the data side of things while humans will lead the creativity and ideasFor the younger generations growing up today especially Gen Z and what I call the Nexus Generation those at the intersection of machines and they will grow up with machines as partners and collaborators fully integrated into their lives In the future weamp8217ll likely see a world shaped by transhumanism and the singularity movement So we need to evolve as leaders to recognize that these young people will view machines as collaboratorsThey need to be invested in supported and guided by AI and machine intelligence Some will thrive in a taskoriented environment working closely with computers while others will want to be empowered to use their creativity As leaders itamp8217s essential to recognize the diverse needs and skills of the younger generation entering the workforce embracing their diversity of thought life experience and the realities they face whether itamp8217s spending time on TikTok or watching televisionAnneLaure Itamp8217s about understanding what younger generations want and how they perceive quality which can be very different from how we view it We talk about premium inventory but quotpremiumquot is subjective What they consider premium might not align with what older generations think and thatamp8217s something we need to acceptSpeaking of diversity it39s a crucial issue especially in the US right now Unfortunately diversity and inclusion are being deprioritized in some areas Youamp8217re living there what do you feel is happening Is the advertising industry fighting back Are advertisers still committed to diversity and inclusion in their programming or is the momentum from the past few years suddenly scaling back or crumbling fastJack Myers Thereamp8217s currently no room in the political or corporate environments in the US for any public discussion or demonstration of diversity inclusion equity or even accessibility These topics are being removed from public reports websites and presentations which is truly disheartening Having spent much of my career working on advancing diversity and inclusion itamp8217s challenging to see the funding for these initiatives dry up Nonprofits and organizations dedicated to fostering a more inclusive environment are no longer being supported and even speaking about it has become difficultThe political landscape is so polarized that itamp8217s hard to know who is supporting diversity efforts and who isn39t From a media ecologist perspective I believe the media and advertising industries are doing a real disservice to our nation and our culture by not taking a stronger stand on these issues When you see the largest media companies Meta Apple Amazon aligning with certain political figures it sends a troubling message Weamp8217re seeing the rise of an oligarchic society in the US and unfortunately the advertising and media industries are not responding to this in any meaningful wayAnneLaure Itamp8217s really concerning Do you think this shift might lead to a divergence between Europe and the US Weamp8217ve been moving towards globalization but with the changes happening in the US it feels like the decisionmaking process is becoming less unified In Europe thereamp8217s still a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion and I suspect some companies are intentionally maintaining those values here Does this mean that decisions especially for advertisers might need to be handled separately in the US and Europe moving forward What are your thoughts on thatJack Myers It39s a really challenging question I do think weamp8217re seeing a shift in the way things are being handled Companies are adjusting their language and changing the semantics behind diversity equity and inclusion DEI to try to keep the focus on accessibility of opportunity But weamp8217re also seeing the legal landscape change For example in education affirmative action is no longer allowed due to a recent Supreme Court ruling Universities where I sit on a couple of advisory boards have seen their ability to bring in diverse students diminish in the last two years as a result This trend is likely to extend to organizations as well making them more homogeneousMeritbased hiring is a positive idea but the definition of quotqualifiedquot is evolving In the world of data AI and machine intelligence younger people are often the most qualified and by definition they are more diverse But how do we engage this younger diverse audience when we39re unable to communicate with them effectively recruit them into our industries or retain them as employees Itamp8217s an unhealthy situation and one that in many ways the science fiction writers like Aldous Huxley in Brave New World and Neil Postman in Amusing Ourselves to Death anticipated Weamp8217re facing a public discourse that has become more about show business than about honest transparent news or communication This situation is concerning for the future of our industriesAnneLaure I hope this change faces resistance and businesses have the courage to close the loop How do you implement a shift from fearbased leadership to one that embraces a leader mindset creating a more harmonious environment as we discussed earlier And as we approach the end of our conversation could you share one final piece of advice for leaders who are looking to transform their businesses in this wayJack Myers Over the past 50 to 70 years leadership has often been defined by the ability to manage technology and data which has been very topdown and taskoriented The introduction of technology into businesses has created a fearbased dynamic where employees worry about what will happen when they are called into their boss39s office To eliminate that fear leadership must shift toward a humanistic model grounded in the five principles of harmony flexibility balance stability and integrity Integrity in this context also includes empathy recognizing ingenuity creativity and innovation Leaders should encourage ideas from all employees and integrate AI into daily operations rather than restricting itLeadership through empathy and understanding is key especially as we face significant technological disruption Fearbased leadership is one of the most destructive models and maintaining it only increases its negative effects The strength of industries like television will come from moving in the opposite direction by reducing fear and focusing on humanistic empathetic leadership The leaders of tomorrow will be those who lead with empathy creativity and innovation focusing on supporting and empowering their employeesAnneLaure I believe I heard this idea in one of your podcasts apologies if I donamp8217t remember exactly who said it but it struck me The concept was about adding value to the office experience In the past we would leave the office for retreats think tanks and away days to rethink and reenergize However this guest suggested that the leadership and inspiration we often sought in those offsite events should now be present in the office itself creating an environment that makes people want to come back Do you have any thoughts to add on thatJack Myers Thatamp8217s actually Rishad Tobaccowala and his new book Rethinking Work is something everyone should read and definitely follow his podcast He has this great point in his blog which he publishes at MediaVillageorg You canamp8217t put tomorrow into the containers of yesterdayBefore COVID when we needed fresh ideas we39d go offsite gather people away from the office The office wasnamp8217t seen as the creative hub it was more about the daytoday tasks But now we need to rethink how we use the office space The office should be the place for ideation People can do their tasks at home but when theyamp8217re in the office it should be about creativity innovation and coming together as a team Rishad believes that we should actually be in the office more but with a focus on these higherlevel human interactions and creative work rather than just the tasks and computersAnneLaure There39s a lot to unpack here and we could easily spend much more time diving into it Especially in a world where everyone is constantly rushing from one thing to the next We39ve already covered a wealth of insights and I encourage everyone to pick up your book In fact I remember you even mentioned in one of your newsletters that if someone doesnamp8217t find value in it youamp8217d personally offer a refundamp8212because youamp8217re that confident it will make a meaningful impactJack Myers Thank you for the opportunity to speak to your egta audience I truly appreciate it Iamp8217d also like to mention that The Tao of Leadership Harmonizing Technological Innovation and Human Creativity in the AI Era is currently available on Kindle and hardbound at all booksellers and discounted for a limited time on Amazon The hardcover edition which had a slight delay is now available in Europe as well And yes if you purchase the hardcover and donamp8217t find value in it Iamp8217ll personally refund the full price Hi to my egta friends I would love to hear feedback on the bookamp160

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