CMOs are facing extraordinary expectations — from the enterprise, customers and their own teams.

In this episode of ThinkCast, Gartner experts Alex De Fursac Gash and Kristina LaRocca-Cerrone cover a portion of their Opening Keynote from this year's Gartner Marketing Symposium/Xpo. Together, they outline how marketing leaders can navigate heightened demands, avoid strategic dysfunction and embrace what they call the "Epic Journey to Growth." From shifting AI from tool to actor, to building long-term vision and scenario planning muscle, Alex and Kristina reveal how CMOs can strengthen reputations, exceed CEO expectations and transform disruption into opportunity.

Tune in to discover:

• Why doing nothing in times of disruption is no longer an option
• How strategic dysfunction undermines growth and what to do about it
• Practical ways to use scenario planning and AI to build resilience
• The mindset shifts that turn volatitiliy into enterprise-wide opportunity

Dig deeper:

• Buy tickets to Gartner Marketing Symposium/Xpo
• Get started with AskGartner, your new AI-powered tool

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, we explore the future of computing — from what to expect in the next decade, to the possibilities beyond.

Gartner Global Chief of Research Chris Howard is joined by Soyeb Barot, Chief of Research for Gartner for Technical Professionals and VP Analyst, to discuss what this future could look like. Hear how AI is rapidly driving the near-term innovation of quantum computing, the far future of autonomous businesses and space manufacturing, and why executive leaders should push to play an active role in shaping these possibilities.

Dig Deeper:

Buy tickets to Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo

Read to learn What is Quantum Computing?

Managers are stretched thin, but remain the most powerful voice for employee trust.

In this episode of ThinkCast, Gartner VP, Advisory Alexandra Earl introduces the 4 C's of Manager Communication Competencies: Championing, Coaching, Conversing and Connecting. From helping employees link strategy to daily work, to creating true two-way dialogue, Alexandra outlines a clear framework to elevate communication and improve team engagement.

Tune in to discover:

• Why managers remain the most effective communication channel
• The 4 essential communication competencies every manager must build
• How contextualization helps employees see themselves in strategy
• Practical steps for self-assessment and peer support networks

Dig deeper:

• Learn more about Gartner for Communications Leaders
• Benchmark yourself with the Gartner Communications Score Tool
• Become a client to try out AskGartner for more trusted insights

With traditional sales growth bets losing steam, today's sales leaders face an urgent challenge: how to hit their numbers and lead their teams through AI-driven reinvention.

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast — recorded live from the 2025 Gartner CSO & Sales Leader Conference Opening Keynote in Las Vegas — Gartner VP Analyst Dan Gottlieb introduces the "Great Sales Awakening," a new era in sales transformation. From navigating quota pressures and cross-functional expectations to deploying agentic AI, Dan outlines the bold leadership shifts required to succeed in a world reshaped by digital labor.

Tune in to discover:

• Why traditional playbooks are no longer enough in today's environment
• The difference between time-saving AI and revenue-driving AI
• How agentic AI is reshaping account planning and sales execution
• What kind of leader you need to be to thrive in the era of AI-powered sales

Dig deeper:

• Buy tickets to the next Gartner CSO & Sales Leader Conference
• Watch the Opening Keynote and other live Gartner sessions on YouTube
• Become a client to try out AskGartner for more trusted insights

With 39% of new executives underperforming in their new role, succeeding as a new leader requires more than ambition — it takes the right tools, insights and political savvy.

Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst Mary Mesaglio joins first to introduce Gartner Executive FastStart™ — a curated set of tools, roadmaps and resources to help new executives overcome the triple constraint of time, information and relationships. Then Gartner Fellow Tina Nunno walks through her framework of four leadership styles to help new leaders navigate the political realities of any organization.

Tune in to discover:

• Why new executives struggle and how the triple constraint holds them back
• How Executive FastStart helps leaders achieve early wins and build trust
• The four political leadership styles and how to identify your own
• How to quickly adapt to the political dynamics of your executive team

Dig deeper:

• Download your own personalized copy of Gartner Executive FastStart
• Watch the full Executives in a New Role playlist on YouTube

With agentic AI quickly becoming widespread, we dive into the next evolution of AI agents — guardian agents.

As part of our Top of Mind series of insights, Distinguished VP Analyst Daryl Plummer joins to lead us through how guardian agents are emerging as a critical tool for organizations deploying AI agents. As AI agents become more common, guardian agents will monitor, oversee and even protect against rogue AI behavior to ensure quality and security.

Tune in to discover:

• What guardian agents are and how they differ from today's AI agents
• The phases of guardian agent evolution: quality, observation and protection
• Why guardian agents will be essential for AI governance and trust
• How protecting AI with AI could redefine safety and innovation for enterprises

Dig deeper:

• Buy tickets to Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ to hear more
• Explore how to Capitalize on the AI Agent Opportunity
• Gartner clients, learn to enable the delivery and ensure robustness of these new capabilities: Emerging Patterns for Building LLM-Based AI Agents

This episode originally aired March 11, 2025

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, we dive into how data and analytics leaders can navigate the mounting pressure to deliver AI results, while building the trust, governance and business value needed for long-term success.

Fresh from the Opening Keynote at Gartner Data & Analytics Summit, Gartner experts Gareth Herschel and Carlie Idoine share why this is the best time to be in data and analytics — and how to scale your AI journey with confidence. From trust models and "freedom in a box" governance, to measuring real value and telling the right story, they break down what it takes to turn AI potential into measurable impact.

Tune in to discover:

• Why trust in both AI and data is the foundation for success
• How to design governance that accelerates innovation
• Ways to measure value beyond ROI — including return on the future
• How storytelling bridges the gap between analytics and business impact

Dig Deeper:

• Buy tickets to Gartner Data & Analytics Summit
• Watch the full Opening Keynote

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, we revisit the Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2025 — particularly those focused on AI — and explore the impact they've had so far.

Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst Gene Alvarez returns to unpack how this year's most critical tech trends are playing out across enterprises with ever-increasing speed, including agentic AI, disinformation security and AI governance platforms. From ethics-by-design to the rise of AI coworkers, discover what's working, what's evolving and what leaders need to prepare for as we approach the reveal of the 2026 trends.

Tune in to discover

• What agentic AI means for productivity, coworking and knowledge compression
• Why AI governance platforms are becoming a critical pillar of enterprise trust
• How disinformation security tools are emerging to combat deepfakes
• What organizations can do to avoid "ethics washing" and shadow IT risks
• Why every tech trend now requires responsible innovation at its core

Dig deeper

• Buy tickets to Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ to see the 2026 trends debut live
• Download the Gartner Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2025
• Watch the full Top Strategic Tech Trends for 2025: The Impact So Far webinar

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, we explore one of the most persistent — and evolving — challenges with AI: hallucinations.

Returning from our Top of Mind video series, Gartner Chief of Research Chris Howard breaks down what hallucinations really are, why they happen and what they reveal about how machines think. From multiagent systems to physics-informed neural networks, discover how the next wave of AI innovation is moving beyond prediction and toward precision, all while relying on AI-ready data.

Tune in to discover:

• Why hallucinations happen and what they say about how AI works
• How multiagent systems and PINNs are changing how machines reason
• When to use probabilistic neural networks vs. deterministic tools
• Why not every business problem needs AI
• How hallucinations might actually help reframe your thinking

Dig deeper:

• Buy tickets to Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™
• Download the 2025 Hype Cycle for Artificial Intelligence
• Watch more Gartner Top of Mind episodes

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, we explore how HR leaders can meet the moment in 2025, where AI acceleration, evolving employee expectations and cultural fragmentation are redefining work.

Pulled from the Gartner HR Symposium/Xpo™ Opening Keynote, Gartner experts Jessie Knight and Russ McCall uncover the critical role HR must play in addressing widening performance gaps — and how guided collaboration, collective intelligence and a human-first approach to AI can reset the workplace for what's next.

Tune in to discover:

• Why traditional talent strategies are falling short
• What's behind the collaboration, skills and technology gaps
• How leading HR teams are using AI-powered nudges
• How to future-proof your workforce with smarter learning

Dig Deeper:

• Buy tickets to Gartner HR Symposium/Xpo™
• Download the Future of Work Toolkit
• Watch the full Opening Keynote