Why Smart Leaders Miss the Real Problem | Elie Jacobs on Strategic Thinking

In this episode of Just Press Record, Matt Zeigler welcomes back communications strategist and Purposeful Advisors founder Elie Jacobs to unpack the evolving role of advisors, communicators, and chiefs of staff in an era defined by constant crisis and rapid technological change.

Using a clip about the modern chief of staff role as a starting point, the conversation explores how leaders process information, how organizations identify risks before they become crises, and how artificial intelligence is transforming the nature of work, judgment, and decision-making.

The discussion ranges from political communications and corporate strategy to AI productivity tools and the future of human expertise in a machine-augmented world.

• The modern chief of staff role and why human awareness and relationship management matter more in an AI-driven workplace
• How communications advisors act as strategic partners to leadership during crises and reputational challenges
• The shift from problem solving to problem finding in modern communications and strategy work
• How organizations miss the real issue by focusing on symptoms instead of underlying risks
• The concept of Type III errors and why leaders often solve the wrong problem
• Information overload and the growing need for advisors who can sift through signals and noise
• How AI is reshaping knowledge work, productivity, and strategic thinking
• The future of consulting, communications, and data-heavy roles in an AI-driven economy
• Why soft skills and judgment may become the most valuable capabilities in the age of automation
• How professionals must rethink how they explain the value they bring to organizations
• Using AI tools to enhance productivity while maintaining human insight and creativity

0:00 Introduction and Elie Jacobs returns to the show
2:00 Purposeful Advisors and applying intelligence community thinking to communications
5:08 Rachel Goldfarb clip on the role of chief of staff in an AI-driven world
7:00 Why chiefs of staff and communications leaders must work in sync
9:00 The shift from problem solving to problem finding
12:00 Strategic communications as an advisor role for leadership
16:00 Understanding Type III errors and identifying the real problem
19:30 AI, information overload, and the need for human judgment
23:00 How AI may reshape consulting, communications, and knowledge work
27:00 Explaining professional value in the age of AI
31:00 Productivity, AI tools, and redefining work-life balance
32:30 Why professionals must better explain their contributions
33:30 Where to find Elie Jacobs and Purposeful Advisors