What outcome are you actually after? It's one of the most important questions a leader can ask — and one most organizations get wrong.
Jessi Szurek, Associate Partner at Synthesis, joins Toni for a conversation about outcome-focused leadership, AI adoption done right, and the career-defining skill of speaking up when you're being overlooked. Jessi's path took her from an architecture degree at Cornell to an MBA at NYU, through 17 years at Ernst & Young working across process automation and AI with global financial institutions, to a smaller consulting firm reinventing what client value really means.
This episode is full of practical wisdom for anyone leading change, adopting AI, or trying to get clear on what actually matters — plus one of the best examples of calling out being ignored that we've had on the show.
What we covered:
The non-linear journey: architecture, an MBA in economics, and 17 years at a global consulting firm
Why Jessi left a role she was good at when her objectives and her employer's diverged
Outcome-focused thinking: the difference between the actions and the actual outcome
Why most companies think they know their outcomes but don't — and how to find real clarity
Why sometimes the right move is to stop and reprioritize instead of just doing what you're told
Transparency as a leadership tool — and why short-term discomfort creates long-term value
AI adoption is change management, not magic: why AI is just the next tool in the toolbox
The AI skepticism problem: what to do when people are being forced to adopt tools they resist
Why user buy-in matters more than the perfect solution — the paper Rolodex principle
The golf story: how Jessi challenged being overlooked and what it taught everyone in the room
What's the worst that can happen? Reframing the fear of speaking up
Setting boundaries and choosing your environment over putting your head down
Why the most important decision you'll ever make is who you choose as your partner
Finding success in discomfort — and being your own biggest cheerleader
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