Episode #25
Supply Chains, AI and Talent: When the Old Playbook Stops Working
What if supply chains aren't going back to normal? What if counting AI usage tells you almost nothing about its value? And what if the fastest way to hire the talent you need is to buy the company they already work for? In this episode of ExecutiveEDGE, Abby White and Geert De Lombaerde unpack three of the month's most-read stories and the difficult decisions they raise for business leaders. First, they examine why waiting for supply chain volatility to disappear could create its own business risk—and how leaders can think about resilience, flexibility and scenario planning heading into budget season. Then comes "tokenmaxxing": the practice of encouraging employees to maximize AI usage. It worked—perhaps too well. Abby and Geert discuss what happens when companies measure AI activity instead of business value, and why finance teams may play an increasingly important role in the next phase of AI adoption. Finally, they explore acquihiring. As specialized talent becomes harder to recruit, buying an established team could give companies faster access to critical capabilities—but only if leaders get the integration right. In this episode: Why waiting for supply chains to "normalize" could be a strategic mistake How to think about the cost of resilience and optionality What tokenmaxxing teaches us about measuring AI Why more AI usage doesn't necessarily mean more productivity How leaders can connect AI spending with actual business outcomes Why AI agents may need their own version of expense controls When buying a company for its talent might make sense Why the integration strategy can make or break an acquihire The common thread? Don't keep forcing the old playbook when the operating environment has changed. Build flexibility where it matters. Measure outcomes instead of activity. And know what capabilities the business actually needs before deciding how to acquire them. Featured ExecutiveEDGE Stories The Supply Chain Has Been a Mess. Here’s How to Think About It This Budget Season Andrea Zelinski The Game of Tokenmaxxing: Worth Playing, Dead or Salvageable? Andrea Zelinski Struggling to Hire Needed Talent? Think About Buying It Geert De Lombaerde
