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- 🤖 AI’s New Rules: Leadership, Agents, and $$$
🤖 AI’s New Rules: Leadership, Agents, and $$$
The leaders, factories, and startups rewriting the playbook
Hello Process Master,
AI isn’t waiting around. It’s fast becoming the operating system for how companies lead, build, and grow. From rewriting leadership playbooks to powering factory floors, the pressure is on leaders to move past pilots and deliver real outcomes. The pace is no longer measured in years, it is measured in quarters.
This week, we’re zooming in on the big inflection points: leadership alignment in the age of AI, the rise of agentic systems, manufacturers scaling smarter with automation, and the $100M bets shaping the next wave of startups. Each story is a lens into what’s working now, what’s next, and how to turn it into advantage.
Buckle up, the momentum isn’t slowing down.
Image credit: AI/ Tech Radar
đź“– AI Co-Pilots in the C-Suite
AI isn’t just helping teams move faster, it’s reshaping how leaders lead. In an IBM survey, 61% of global CEOs said they’ve already brought AI agents into their own workflows, and some are using them to “scale themselves.” Think Nvidia’s Jensen Huang using AI as a tutor or Tim Cook leaning on it to tame his inbox.
The shift is clear: AI co-pilots are changing executive priorities. As routine tasks get automated, leaders will need to double down on strategy, culture, and human judgment — the things AI can’t replace. Those who don’t adopt risk being seen as “corporately deficient.”
🚀 Meet Your New Coworker: Agentic AI
Agentic AI is the next frontier of intelligent work. These systems don’t just follow rules, they read the room: context-aware, proactive, and smart enough to make certain decisions on their own — within defined guardrails.
By 2027, half of enterprises using GenAI will have agentic AI in production. That’s not hype, that’s a deadline. This shift isn’t about replacing tasks. It’s about building agility, resilience, and real competitive edge.
Early adopters teaming humans with AI will set the pace. Everyone else will be racing from behind.
⚙️ From Lenses to Shampoos: AI Is Powering Production
Need proof that AI delivers real value? Manufacturers are showing the way.
Bausch + Lomb uses “Atlas AI” for predictive maintenance, scaling lens production without costly downtime. Pet food maker Spot & Tango has 60% of purchase orders on autopilot. Beauty brand Prose cut costs per shampoo bottle. Even quality checks are getting the AI treatment, from visual inspections to predictive monitoring.
The bottom line: faster output, lower costs, less risk. And this wave is only building as 77% of manufacturers say they’ll ramp up AI spending in the next year.
💰 Big Checks, Bigger Bets: AI’s $100M Club
The money is flowing. Thirty-three US AI startups have already landed $100M+ this year. They span generative media, healthcare, infrastructure, enterprise search, and legal.
Today’s VC bets could become tomorrow’s standard AI stack. A few standouts:
• EliseAI raised $250M (Series E), now valued at ~$2.2B.
• Decart secured $100M at a ~$3.1B valuation.
• Thinking Machines Lab made waves with a $2B early-stage round.
The trend is clear: healthcare, infrastructure, legal, and enterprise AI are attracting the biggest checks and setting the bar for what “mainstream AI” will look like.
Stay sharp, stay curious. The future of workflows is already underway.
And if you haven’t yet, watch or listen to Amir Naderi on the Process Masters Podcast for real stories on turning AI into operational wins.
– The Process Masters Team