AT&T and JPMorgan CEOs urge employees to come to meetings armed with data

During a recent LinkedIn-hosted discussion with Jamie Dimon, AT&T CEO John Stankey stressed that meetings should be populated by contributors who have done their homework, insisting that opinions must be grounded in facts, data, and analysis. He warned that those who merely observe may be out of place if they cannot add constructive input. Dimon reinforced this view, urging leaders to create a culture where employees feel safe to challenge ideas and raise uncomfortable subjects, even if it means bringing a "dead cat" to the table.

Both leaders highlighted that AI assistants such as Gemini and Google are now being used to speed up the preparation process, allowing faster consumption of relevant material. Despite the new tools, they maintain that the essential rule—showing up fully prepared—has not changed. Their comments come as JPMorgan’s stock has risen over 17% in the past year, while AT&T’s has slipped about 12%, underscoring differing outcomes for the two firms.