In an ever-changing, rapidly accelerating, and increasingly digital world, Siegfried’s MY Journey® program provides the unique gift of self-reflection – the valuable time to become more thoughtful about your most meaningful dreams, what gives you energy, and the impact of the world around you.
Rob Siegfried, CEO and Founder of The Siegfried Group, LLP (Siegfried), opened the Firm’s 29th MY Journey event with this purpose at the forefront, encouraging attendees to take the crucial, often sidelined, first step toward transforming their lives by determining the goals that spark their passion.
“To become the best version of yourself, you must be more reflective about those dreams that motivate transformation; then, you must strive to enact those dreams each and every day,” shared Rob on the MY Journey stage in Las Vegas. “Individual leadership is about both thinking and feeling. Developing your sense of feel – what your gut tells you – is a key aspect of making the decisions that will exponentially improve your life.”
As Rob dove into individual leadership, guest speakers Geoff Woods and Nick Sonnenberg discussed how the evolution, adoption, and use of artificial intelligence (AI) could enhance your growth. Urging AI users to act as thought leaders, the pair described AI as a strategic thought partner and time optimizer in the pursuit of both personal and professional success.
You are the difference-maker
AI is moving fast – the question is not whether you can keep pace; it’s whether you can become a better leader. Geoff Woods, author of The AI-Driven Leader and Founder of AI Leadership, advised the audience to become thought leaders of AI and to use it as a strategic thought partner to help them achieve their most important goals.
“You need to get in the driver’s seat with AI,” Geoff explained. “If you don’t, you will be failing so slowly, you think you’re succeeding. When you do, you’ll be succeeding so slowly, you think you’re failing – keep going. You’ll reach an inflection point and leave everyone else behind.”
According to Geoff, three criteria determine the efficacy of AI – and they all start with you and your ability to:
- identify strategic use cases
- communicate effectively using the CRIT framework (context, role, interview, task)
- lead
“AI adoption is not your goal,” said Geoff. “Building better leaders and better lives is your goal. AI can help or distract you in achieving this. The difference-maker is you.”
Becoming a digital leader
Framing AI as a thought partner, rather than a thought leader, is only part of the equation. Nick Sonnenberg, author of Come Up For Air and Founder of Leverage, demonstrated how AI could maximize an important, yet incredibly scarce, resource in the pursuit of your dreams – time.
“It takes time to make time. Learn to leverage AI to save time. Then, you can reinvest that time into the things that matter most – what you’re passionate about, what gives you joy,” said Nick, building upon Rob’s introductory remarks.
From organizing resources to planning and communication, the primary determinant of AI’s success across Nick’s use cases was, again, the user’s individual leadership.
“Many digital tools exist. Few people know how to leverage them,” Nick continued. “It’s not the tool that matters; it’s when and how you use it.”
Growing with AI
In the spirit of continued and intentional reflection, Rob, Geoff, and Nick returned to the stage for an AI-focused panel alongside Siegfried professionals Max Formica, Senior Manager in New York, and Louis Ma, Associate Manager in Silicon Valley.
The group promoted a mindset of persistent curiosity around AI and discussed how Siegfried professionals differentiate themselves as leadership advisors in times of shifting priorities and change – a skill which AI can enhance, not replace.
“I’ve worked with a lot of different companies, but Siegfried’s culture is different,” reflected Nick. “Most companies do not invest in individual growth to this level, and the leadership that Siegfried professionals develop will be incredibly valuable in the time of AI.”
This MY Journey® event was hosted live in Las Vegas and broadcast to 17 locations and 1,100 people around the country.
About Siegfried’s MY Journey® program
MY Journey® is an investment that Siegfried makes in its employees to help them build mastery in a variety of areas. Rooted in the Firm’s higher purpose to help people transform themselves into better individual leaders to exponentially improve their lives, MY Journey® is just one of the ways Siegfried employees experience leadership advisory and transformative growth. A multi-faceted program, MY Journey® includes live events with compelling guest speakers, leadership advisory trainings with the CEO and Founder, on-demand courses, interactive professional development calls with experts, special allowances to support MY Journey® goals, state-of-the-art education, customized tools, and more. Additional information is available at siegfriedgroup.com/my-journey/.
About The Siegfried Group, LLP (Siegfried)
The Siegfried Group, LLP (Siegfried) is a national, relationship-driven professional services organization. Led by our higher purpose to help people transform themselves into better leaders to exponentially improve their lives, we partner with financial executives at Fortune 1000 and other dynamic companies and provide them with a powerful combination of talent delivery, leadership advisory, and financial advisory services.
With these services, we assist leaders with enhancing clarity and prioritization, while matching them with the high-performing talent needed to execute their most important accounting and finance initiatives. We hire the best people to serve the best companies, and we do it under the direction and control of client personnel to get things done better, faster, and cheaper.
