Why AI Is Reshaping Leadership Today

AI, Leadership, and the Future of Business: A Conversation with Trey Taylor

The business world is shifting faster than at any other point in modern history. Technology is accelerating at a pace few leaders can keep up with. Entire industries are being reshaped by automation, new buying behavior, and the rapid rise of AI tools that influence everything from strategy to customer experience.

Together, Carl and Trey break down the role of AI in business today, the rapid growth of Latino-owned companies, and the importance of keeping strategy simple enough to follow. Trey also revisits the core message of his book, A CEO Only Does Three Things, and why those principles matter now more than ever.

The Rise of Latino Entrepreneurship in the U.S.

One of the most surprising topics in this episode is the major uptick in Latino-owned businesses across the United States. Trey’s book was recently translated into Spanish, but not for the reasons he originally assumed. His publisher noticed something powerful in the data: Latino communities represent one of the highest-growth, highest-profit entrepreneurial segments in the country.

Here are the numbers Trey shared:

• Latinos make up 19% of the U.S. population
  
  
  

• But 36% of all new businesses are Latino-owned
  
  
  

• 84% of those businesses are profitable
  
  
  

• If Latino-owned businesses were their own country, it would be the 8th largest economy in the world
  
  
  

Those numbers speak for themselves.

Trey highlights the cultural factors behind this growth: strong work ethic, ownership mentality, generational skills in trades and services, and a focus on cash flow rather than speculation. Many Latino business owners are also using AI in powerful ways, particularly in pricing, lead generation, and financial management advantages that are accelerating their growth even faster.

Why AI Is Not “Coming” It’s Already Here

Much of the episode focuses on AI. Trey explains that many leaders talk about “preparing” for AI, but the truth is simple: AI has already arrived, and it’s improving at a rate that feels exponential.

Trey shares several key insights:

1. AI doesn’t eliminate work it changes who does it

Companies still need direction, judgment, and strategic clarity. What AI changes is the execution. Tasks like document drafting, quoting, research, writing, and analysis are no longer bottlenecks.

2. The competitor using AI will outperform the one who isn’t

Trey references a common truth:
AI isn’t replacing you, but the person using AI will.

Leaders who ignore AI fall behind quickly, both in efficiency and in decision-making.

3. AI still requires human oversight

Trey warns against lazy thinking. AI tools are powerful, but they still hallucinate, misinterpret, or provide information that looks confident but lacks accuracy. Leaders must inspect what the tools produce.

4. AI can improve customer experience and profitability

Trey shares a real example from his insurance company. Using AI to analyze customer data, his team discovered missing policies that clients should have been offered. With a simple follow-up campaign, they sold 90+ additional policies in three days resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in new revenue.

This is where AI shines: spotting patterns humans would miss.

A CEO Only Does Three Things

Trey is known for his simple but powerful framework:
Culture. People. Numbers.

These are the three areas a CEO must own. Everything else is noise.

Carl and Trey explore how these three elements interact:

Culture

Culture is the soil. Without the right environment, nothing grows. Leaders must model the behaviors and values they want the organization to mirror.

People

Every business rises or falls based on the team. Hiring well, developing leaders, and aligning roles remain core functions of a CEO.

Numbers

Numbers tell the truth. They reveal patterns, risks, opportunities, and the future trajectory of the business.

AI enhances all three if the CEO stays engaged.

The Danger of Agreeable AI

Trey makes an important point that many leaders miss: AI tools tend to agree with users. Their programming is built to build trust, not challenge assumptions.

This creates risk.

If a leader enters a prompt with bias, the AI will reinforce it. A business decision built on faulty assumptions becomes dangerous. Trey warns leaders to ask AI to challenge them, not just validate them.

This parallels his point about leadership:
Companies don’t need more yes-men. They need truth-seekers.

Leadership in the Age of AI

Carl and Trey explore a final theme: strategy means nothing without execution.

Many leaders build strategic plans that sit on shelves. The future belongs to leaders who apply what they learn who bring clarity, action, and accountability to their organizations.

Trey emphasizes that technology doesn’t replace leadership. It amplifies it.

Leaders who stay curious, test new tools, and build clear strategic rhythms will win.

Final Takeaways from Trey Taylor

Trey ends the conversation with a powerful reminder:

• AI is not the future it’s the present
  
  
  

• Leaders who embrace change will create opportunity
  
  
  

• Strategy only matters when it’s executed
  
  
  

• Culture, people, and numbers still form the foundation of every successful organization
  
  
  

His insights apply to CEOs, operators, entrepreneurs, and anyone navigating the changing business landscape.

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