MarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business Growth Episode: Should your C-Suite learn to use AI before your employees? Release Date: July 2, 2025 Host: Benjamin Shapiro Guest: Joyce Gordon, Head of Generative AI at Imperity
Introduction
In this episode of the MarTech Podcast ™, host Benjamin Shapiro engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Joyce Gordon, the Head of Generative AI at Imperity. The episode delves into the critical question: "Should your C-Suite learn to use AI before your employees?" This conversation explores the strategic deployment of artificial intelligence within organizations, balancing top-down leadership with grassroots innovation.
Main Discussion
The Central Question: AI Proficiency in Leadership vs. Employees
The episode centers around whether artificial intelligence (AI) training should be prioritized for the C-Suite executives or distributed across all employees. Benjamin Shapiro initiates the discussion, prompting Joyce Gordon to share her perspective.
Joyce Gordon’s Initial Stance: At [01:40], when asked to choose between C-Suite or individual contributors mastering AI, Joyce emphatically responds, “It has to be both.” She emphasizes that both leadership and employees play pivotal roles in integrating AI effectively within an organization.
Balancing Leadership and Operational Use of AI
Joyce elaborates on her viewpoint, highlighting the responsibilities of the C-Suite in facilitating AI adoption:
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Strategic Oversight: The C-Suite must ensure that employees have the right tools and understand the limitations of AI technologies. For instance, managing sensitive information such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII) requires clear guidelines and ethical considerations.
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Modeling Good Behavior: Executives should exemplify effective AI usage within workflows, setting a standard for the rest of the organization.
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Empowering Employees: Individuals on the ground possess firsthand knowledge of their specific use cases for AI and can generate innovative ideas for its implementation within their functions.
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Joyce Gordon at [02:23] states, “I think it's up to the C suite to make sure that folks at the company have the right tools, that they understand the limitations... and people on the ground are the ones that understand their individual use cases and I think will have the best ideas for how to implement AI for their function.”
Benjamin Shapiro’s Perspective: Top-Down Approach
Benjamin Shapiro, taking a different angle, advocates for a top-down approach to AI integration:
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Strategic Direction: Shapiro argues that without executive leadership in AI, even the most skilled employees cannot align their efforts with the company’s overarching strategy.
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Coordinated Efforts: He warns against a scenario where a team of engineers operates without cohesive direction, leading to fragmented and ineffective AI initiatives.
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Leadership Responsibility: According to Shapiro, executives must understand the magnitude of AI to lead the charge effectively and ensure that AI initiatives are strategically aligned with business objectives.
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Benjamin Shapiro at [02:50] explains, “If your executives don't have a grasp on the magnitude of artificial intelligence and they can't lead, the charge for this is how I'm using artificial intelligence to do a better job with our business strategy... The good operators can't operate if they don't have the strategy.”
The Crux of the Debate
The conversation highlights a fundamental debate in AI adoption:
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Joyce Gordon: Advocates for simultaneous AI proficiency in both leadership and employees to harness collective strengths and ensure ethical, effective implementation.
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Benjamin Shapiro: Emphasizes the necessity of executive understanding and strategic direction to guide AI initiatives, arguing that without it, employee efforts may lack focus and coherence.
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At [03:24], Joyce concedes, “We'll agree to disagree on this one.” This acknowledgment underscores the complexity of balancing top-down leadership with bottom-up innovation in AI adoption.
Key Insights
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Dual Focus on AI Training: Effective AI integration requires attention to both executive leadership and employee training, ensuring strategic alignment and operational innovation.
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Executive Responsibility: Leaders must not only understand AI but also model its effective use, set ethical guidelines, and provide the necessary tools for their teams.
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Employee Empowerment: Employees should be equipped with AI knowledge tailored to their specific roles, fostering creativity and practical application in various functions.
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Strategic Alignment: Without a cohesive direction from the top, AI initiatives risk becoming disjointed efforts that fail to contribute meaningfully to business growth.
Conclusion
The episode concludes with a mutual recognition of differing viewpoints on AI training within organizations. While Joyce Gordon champions a balanced approach, Benjamin Shapiro underscores the paramount importance of executive leadership in driving AI strategies. This dynamic conversation encapsulates the ongoing debate in the business world about the optimal pathway for AI integration, emphasizing that both top-down and bottom-up approaches have their place in fostering a technologically adept and strategically aligned organization.
Additional Resources
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Connect with Joyce Gordon:
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