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The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership | Critical Thinking | Problem-Solving

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership | Critical Thinking | Problem-Solving

549 episodes — Page 6 of 11

440: What is the big picture thinking? (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss what big picture thinking is. At least once in your life, you would have received feedback to be a more big picture thinker. The problem is that everyone will have a different definition of big picture thinking and many of the definitions are vague, counter-intuitive, or wrong. Based on advising some of the consultants on the study, this podcast provides a very simple, intuitive, practical, and correct definition of the big picture concept. It also explains why it is so important and how to use it. Keep in mind that this study is being updated on our website where you can view the training videos and PowerPoint slides. This is a huge study and will offer the most realistic training for both consultants and industry professionals. Pure corporate strategy studies are rare. This is a unique training opportunity. Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Subscribe to FIRMSconsulting's YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/Firmsconsultingsubscribe Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Apr 15, 202411 min

439: How to think about financial strategy | management consulting (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss about financial strategy. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Apr 10, 20249 min

438: Scenario planning's common problems (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss scenario planning's common problems. Scenario planning / Scenario Analysis is a powerful tool in consulting. This is how to move from being a consultant to thinking and presenting like a partner. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Apr 8, 20249 min

437: Google's Laura Mae Martin on How to Be Productive

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 437, featuring an interview with the author of Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing, Laura Mae Martin. In her book, Laura shows how to thrive no matter where you're working, giving concrete steps that help you focus on your priorities and keep good systems, routines, and tactics in place. Uptime explains how to make technology work for you and make "feeling on top of it" your new normal. It's a blueprint for operating at the highest levels of productivity while enhancing your own personal well-being. Laura Mae Martin is the Executive Productivity Advisor in the Office of the CEO at Google. She coaches Google's top executives on the best ways to manage their time and energy and sends out a weekly productivity newsletter that reaches tens of thousands of employees. During her 13-year tenure at Google, she has worked in sales, product operations, event planning, and now executive coaching. Laura holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and lives in Charlotte, NC, with her husband and three children. Get Laura's book here: https://rb.gy/nu5qr6 Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Apr 3, 202454 min

436: Selling Services to PE Firms with Aimably's Founder and Stanford Grad, Claire Milligan

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 436, featuring an interview with Claire Milligan, a Stanford graduate turned startup founder. Claire helps businesses grow by spending smarter and reducing their cloud costs. Her target market is PE firms. In this episode, we discuss what PE firms care about, how to approach them, the biggest challenges and potential solutions they encounter, as well as the sales process and lead time. Whether she's helping businesses transform their cloud spending or hitting the slopes as a ski patroller, Claire Milligan thrives on distilling complex problems down to their core issues — and turning these pragmatic findings into groundbreaking solutions. Through a journey spanning marketing, UX, and leadership roles at tech companies like Tallie and SpringAhead, she's meticulously constructed a diverse skill set built upon hands-on expertise and an unrelenting thirst for knowledge. Now, as the CEO of startup Aimably, she's applying her unique superpowers to help businesses grow by spending smarter and dramatically reducing their cloud costs. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Apr 1, 202451 min

435: Stanford University's Jeremy Utley. AI's brainstorming and problem-solving potential

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 435, where we feature an interview with the co-author of the inspiring new Generative AI study, Jeremy Utley. This episode highlights the common mistakes and missed opportunities many corporate teams and individuals make when using AI. Too often, individuals treat AI as a mere search engine, leading to answers that fall short of actual solutions. Jeremy Utley is an adjunct professor specializing in creativity and entrepreneurship at Stanford University, where he has taught design thinking and creativity to nearly one million students of innovation worldwide. In 2023, he was named a top ten global innovation leader by Thinkers50 for his recent book Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Mar 27, 202453 min

434: Conditions for great PowerPoint slides (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from the Corporate Strategy & Transformation study. This podcast is for those who have mastered all the basics on slide design and formatting. In this podcast, we discuss how to determine if your PowerPoint slides are influential on a study. Influential PowerPoint slides may not be the most beautiful pieces of work or even the ones with the most effort, though it is usually at least the latter. Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Mar 25, 202416 min

433: Digital strategy expert, Venkat Venkatraman. How Real-Time Data and AI Will Power the Industrial Future

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 433, an interview with the coauthor of Fusion Strategy: How Real-Time Data and AI Will Power the Industrial Future, Venkat Venkatraman. In Fusion Strategy, digital strategy expert Venkat Venkatraman and world-renowned innovation guru Vijay Govindarajan offer a first-of-its-kind playbook that will help industrial companies combine what they do best—create physical products—with what digitals do best—use algorithms and AI to parse expansive, interconnected datasets—to make strategic connections that would otherwise be impossible. Venkat Venkatraman is the David J. McGrath Jr. Professor of Management at the Questrom School of Business, Boston University. He has previously taught at the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at the London Business School. He is considered one of the foremost authorities on how companies develop strategies to win with digital technologies. He has lectured and conducted digital strategy workshops all over the world with companies such as IBM, Merck, Ericsson, BP, Canal+, and others. Get Venkat's book here: https://rb.gy/2vq6rx Fusion Strategy: How Real-Time Data and AI Will Power the Industrial Future. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Mar 20, 202457 min

432: One of the world's leading experts on strategy and innovation, Vijay "VG" Govindarajan. How Real-Time Data and AI Will Power the Industrial Future

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 432, an interview with the coauthor of Fusion Strategy: How Real-Time Data and AI Will Power the Industrial Future. In Fusion Strategy, world-renowned innovation guru Vijay Govindarajan and digital strategy expert Venkat Venkatraman offer a first-of-its-kind playbook that will help industrial companies combine what they do best—create physical products—with what digitals do best—use algorithms and AI to parse expansive, interconnected datasets—to make strategic connections that would otherwise be impossible. Vijay "VG" Govindarajan is widely regarded as one of the world's leading experts on strategy and innovation. He is the Coxe Distinguished Professor, a Dartmouth-wide chair, at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a former Marvin Bower Fellow at Harvard Business School. Govindarajan is the author of the bestselling books Reverse Innovation and Three-Box Solution. Get Vijay's book here: https://rb.gy/2vq6rx Fusion Strategy: How Real-Time Data and AI Will Power the Industrial Future. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Mar 18, 202455 min

431: Design the value chain you need | value chain analysis (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss value chain analysis. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo Subscribe to FIRMSconsulting's YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/Firmsconsultingsubscribe

Mar 13, 202411 min

430: Chief evangelist of Canva and host of the Remarkable People podcast, Guy Kawasaki, on Lessons from the world's most remarkable people

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 430, an interview with the author of Think Remarkable: 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference, Guy Kawasaki. In Think Remarkable, tech titan Guy Kawasaki teams up with Madisun Nuismer, producer of the Remarkable People podcast, to share invaluable knowledge from more than 40 years of working with game-changing organizations such as Apple, Canva, Google, Mercedes Benz, and Wikipedia, and delivers insights from a collection of amazing interviews that'll kick you into high gear and get you ready to start showing the world your best, most amazing self. Together the authors show you how to lead a fulfilling life by drawing on insights from working closely with some of the world's most remarkable people. Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva and the creator of Guy Kawasaki's Remarkable People podcast. He is an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business (UC Berkeley), and adjunct professor of the University of New South Wales. He was the chief evangelist of Apple and a trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation. He has written Wise Guy, The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment, and eleven other books. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University, an MBA from UCLA, and an honorary doctorate from Babson College. Get Guy's book here: https://rb.gy/tvng27 Think Remarkable: 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Mar 11, 202447 min

429: Benchmarking analysis (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from the Corporate Strategy & Transformation study, where we explain how benchmarking analysis, or what is also called best practice analysis, should be used for the top-down analysis and why they are so difficult to manage in a real study. Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo Subscribe to FIRMSconsulting's YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/Firmsconsultingsubscribe

Mar 6, 202416 min

428: Vice President of SCADpro, Paul Stonick. The Business Value of Design and The Cost of Not Innovating

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 427, an interview with Paul Stonick, the Vice President of SCADpro—Savannah College of Art and Design's in-house design, research, and innovation studio—which is generating innovative designs and products for the world's most influential brands, including Google, Amazon, and Apple. From sketches to on-screen visuals, SCADpro students conceptualized and created augmented reality graphics ahead of Super Bowl LVIII. Their game-changing use of Augmented Reality was an epic viewing experience like never before! Visit the behind the scenes with CBS Sports here: https://twitter.com/NFLonCBS/status/1755382181998841907 Prior to SCAD, Paul spent 25 years in the corporate world leading world-class digital and user experience design teams primarily in e-commerce, most notably with The Home Depot. His work has been featured in multiple news outlets, research organizations like Forrester and L2 Gartner, national television spots, and multiple Apple WWDC keynotes. Paul also coaches and mentors the next generation of design leaders in his work with Amazing Design People (adplist.org). ADPList inspires powerful conversations and collaborations among designers worldwide so together we can change the world with creativity. In addition, Paul is a founding cohort member of Punks & Pinstripes -- a private network of badass transformation executives. Because it takes a rebel to change a company. Find us at punksandpinstripes.com Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Mar 4, 202451 min

427: Ex McKinsey and LBS lecturer, Dr. Rebecca Homkes, on high growth strategy

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 427, an interview with the author of Survive, Reset, Thrive: Leading Breakthrough Growth Strategy in Volatile Times, Dr. Rebecca Homkes. Survive, Reset, Thrive is a playbook for leaders derived from the author's first-hand experience working with executive teams across industries from software, technology, retail, fashion, and construction through to manufacturing. Drawing from over a decade of rich real-world experience, the author illustrates how to navigate the most complex strategic situations with a simple, executable approach. Rebecca Homkes explains how proactively to stabilize your business to withstand and grow through market shocks, reset your strategy to take account of new realities and thrive through uncertainty. Rebecca Homkes is a high-growth strategy specialist and CEO and executive advisor. She is a Lecturer at The London Business School, Faculty at Duke Corporate Executive Education, Advisor and Faculty at the Boston Consulting Group focused on AI and Climate and Sustainability, and a former fellow at the London School of Economics Centre for Economic Performance. A global keynote speaker and recognized thought leader, she is also the global Faculty Director of the Active Learning Program with the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), leads several fintech accelerators, and serves on the boards of many high-growth companies. She earned her doctorate at the London School of Economics as a Marshall Scholar and is now based in Miami, the Bay Area, and London, UK. Get Rebecca's book here: https://rb.gy/aq85ee Survive, Reset, Thrive: Leading Breakthrough Growth Strategy in Volatile Times Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Feb 28, 202453 min

426: Professor of Neuroscience, Dr. Charan Ranganath, on Memory, Neuroscience, and Discovery

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 426, an interview with the author of Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters, Dr. Charan Ranganath. In the book, Dr. Charan radically reframes the way we think about the everyday act of remembering. Combining accessible language with cutting-edge research, he reveals the surprising ways our brains record the past and how we use that information to understand who we are in the present, and to imagine and plan for the future. Why We Remember is a captivating read that unveils the hidden role memory plays throughout our lives. When we understand its power-- and its quirks--we can cut through the clutter and remember the things we want to remember. We can make freer choices and plan a happier future. Charan Ranganath is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and director of the Dynamic Memory Lab at the University of California at Davis. For over 25 years, Dr. Ranganath has studied the mechanisms in the brain that allow us to remember past events, using brain imaging techniques, computational modeling and studies of patients with memory disorders. He has been recognized with a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship. He lives in Davis, California. Get Charan's book here: https://rb.gy/xfdgjo Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Feb 26, 202453 min

425: Former President of Nike's Consumer-Direct Division and Former Executive Vice President and COO of PepsiCo Discuss Strategies from Women Who've Made It—Christiana Smith Shi and Grace Puma

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 425, an interview with the authors of Career Forward: Strategies from Women Who've Made It, Christiana Smith Shi and Grace Puma. In this book, the authors challenge negative stereotypes about female ambition, and urge women to be bold, follow their dreams, and seize the chance to lead "big" lives. The secret is to focus on career first, job second. Instead of chasing a better job title or a salary bump, the goal should be a long-range career path that leads to success. "Career forward" means keeping a focus on the future and recognizing that being good at your job is often not enough—that you should take every opportunity to boost your connections, take on "difficult" assignments, and work actively to broaden your skills. Christiana Smith Shi is the former president of Nike's consumer-direct division where she led the company's global retail and ecommerce business. Before that she was a senior partner at McKinsey & Co. Christiana has been named one of the Most Influential Corporate Directors by Women, Inc. She currently leads Lovejoy Advisors, which is focused on digitally transforming consumer and retail businesses. Shi is a graduate of Stanford University and has an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she graduated as a Baker Scholar. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Grace Puma is the former executive vice president and COO of PepsiCo, and before that held senior positions with United Airlines, Kraft Foods, Motorola, and Gillette. A board member of both Organon & Co and Target, she has been ranked on the "Most Powerful Latina" list by Fortune magazine and recognized as the "Executive of the Year" by Latina Style magazine. Puma holds a BA in business administration and economics from Illinois Benedictine University. She lives in Tampa, Florida. Get Career Forward here: https://rb.gy/t7e8f9 Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Feb 21, 202451 min

424: CEO of Churchome, David Kroll, on Using Modern Technology to Scale Your Nonprofit Organization and Grow Your Community

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 424, an interview with the Chief Executive Officer for Churchome, David Kroll. In this episode, David shares his career journey and transition from investment banking to becoming a pastor, highlighting his exposure to extreme success and the realization that money doesn't equate to happiness. David found personal freedom and alignment by pursuing work that aligns with his values. He discusses how he leveraged technology to enhance faith practices and reach a wider audience. David advises those feeling lost in their careers to keep their eyes open for the next step and to embrace the journey toward their desired destination, acknowledging that it may not be a straight path, and to not be afraid to turn sideways or backward to get there. David Kroll is the Chief Executive Officer for Churchome. Prior to stepping into the CEO role, David began his career within investment banking, wealth management, and technology, and he served in a variety of pastoral roles within Churchome. A loving husband to Jenna and father to William, Teddy, and Charlotte, David is passionate about helping people! Learn more about Churchome and David here: https://www.churchome.org/ Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Feb 19, 202442 min

423: Value chain mapping (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss value chain mapping. We have seen many value chain mapping examples. We have seen good value chain mapping, bad value chain mapping, and incomplete value chain mapping. Ultimately, given the nature of how value chain mapping will work, it can and cannot do a few things. So if value chain mapping is presented to do things it cannot do, then it is flawed. When you do value chain analysis, 1.) it is far more useful to see where profits will shift over time. 2.) assign some probabilities of what are the odds of this happening. And 3.) what influences those probabilities? You are analyzing the entire sector, the entire industry. A lot of things influence a sector. Consumer spending can change with the recession. Recession can change things. Different legislation could cause profits to move from point x to point y. Competitors making a misstep could cause it, new competitors entering, and competitors going bankrupt. So whenever someone says "I am certain this will happen", you should question their business judgement because you cannot predict the future. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo Subscribe to FIRMSconsulting's YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/Firmsconsultingsubscribe

Feb 14, 20248 min

422: Harvard grad and Cerebral data science team leader, Akshay Swaminathan, on winning with Data Science

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 422, an interview with the author of Winning with Data Science: A Handbook for Business Leaders. This book is a compelling and comprehensive guide to data science, emphasizing its real-world business applications and focusing on how to collaborate productively with data science teams. The book follows the stories of Kamala and Steve, two professionals who need to collaborate with data science teams to achieve their business goals. Akshay Swaminathan is a data scientist who works on strengthening health systems. He earned a degree in Statistics from Harvard University and is an MD candidate and Knight- Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University School of Medicine. He has more than forty peer-reviewed publications, and his work has been featured in the New York Times. He currently leads the data science team at Cerebral. Get Akshay's book here: https://rb.gy/tievb8 Winning with Data Science: A Handbook for Business Leaders Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Feb 12, 202444 min

421: A Visionary Business Leader and Best Selling Author, Mark A. Mears. What's LOVE Got to Do With Leadership?

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 421, an interview with the author of The Purposeful Growth Revolution: 4 Ways to Grow from Leader to Legacy Builder. In this book, you will learn to apply 4 holistic and revolutionary processes found in nature to help individuals, teams, and organizations find purpose, fulfill their true growth potential, and leave a living legacy—what Mears calls paying it backward. All designed to fulfill Purposeful Growth, Purposeful Self, Purposeful Work, and a Purposeful Life. Mark A. Mears is a #1 Best Selling author, keynote speaker, consultant, and visionary business leader. He has a significant track record of building shareholder value. He has driven innovation and profitable growth among world-class, high-profile brands such as PepsiCo/Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Frito-Lay, JCPenney, NBCUniversal, and The Cheesecake Factory. Today, Mark serves as Chief Growth Officer for LEAF Growth Ventures, LLC—a consulting firm helping individuals, teams, and organizations find purpose in fulfilling their true growth potential while making a positive, lasting difference in the world. Mark is also a member of the Senior Leader Network within Conscious Capitalism, Inc. Learn more about Mark here: www.MarkAMears.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/markamears Get Mark's book here: https://rb.gy/20buif The Purposeful Growth Revolution: 4 Ways to Grow from Leader to Legacy Builder Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Feb 7, 202447 min

420: What a strategy workshop will not give you at the end (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss what a strategy workshop will not give you at the end. Subscribe to FIRMSconsulting's YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/Firmsconsultingsubscribe Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Feb 5, 20248 min

419: The one thing every consulting case study must produce (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss one important thing every consulting case study must produce. Subscribe to FIRMSconsulting's YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/Firmsconsultingsubscribe Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Jan 31, 20248 min

418: The most important output in a consulting study | management consulting project | benefits case (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss one important thing you always need to present in all of your management consulting projects, a business case. If you are not presenting a business case to a client, or a benefits case, I prefer the word benefits because it makes it clear you are looking for a benefit for a client, if you are not presenting a benefits case to a client you are making it very difficult for the client to make the decision to implement what you are saying in your recommendation as part of your management consulting project. Subscribe to FIRMSconsulting's YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/Firmsconsultingsubscribe Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Jan 29, 202410 min

417: A professor of global politics at University College London, Brian Klaas. FLUKE: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 417, an interview with the author of Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters, Brian Klaas. In Fluke, myth-shattering social scientist Brian Klaas deep-dives into the phenomenon of randomness, unpicking our neat and tidy storybook version of events to reveal a reality far wilder and more fascinating than we have dared to consider. The bewildering truth is that but for a few incidental changes, our lives - and our societies - would be radically different. Offering an entirely new perspective, Fluke explores how our world really works, driven by strange interactions and random events. Brian Klaas grew up in Minnesota, earned his DPhil at Oxford, and is now a professor of global politics at University College London. He is a contributing writer for The Atlantic, host of the award-winning Power Corrupts podcast, and frequent guest on national television. Klaas has conducted field research across the globe and advised major politicians and organizations including NATO and the European Union. You can find Brian at BrianPKlaas.com and on Twitter @BrianKlaas. Get Brian's book here: https://rb.gy/gueipv Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Jan 24, 202447 min

416: Consulting workshop best practices (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss consulting workshop best practices. Subscribe to FIRMSconsulting's YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/Firmsconsultingsubscribe Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Jan 22, 20249 min

415: If VCs & Gov. join forces we can solve society's biggest problems. With venture capitalist and lecturer at Stanford University, Arun Gupta

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 415, an interview with the author of Venture Meets Mission: Aligning People, Purpose, and Profit to Innovate and Transform Society, Arun Gupta. The book argues that if Business, Government, and Society come together, rebuild trust, and collaborate, we have a generational opportunity to address societal challenges―climate change, cybersecurity, disease outbreaks, food insecurity, and education. The book explains, with hope and passion, how our existing entrepreneurial ecosystem, with the ideals of democracy, can be the foundation for a new mission-driven capitalism. Arun Gupta is a venture capitalist, Lecturer at Stanford University, and Adjunct Entrepreneurship Professor at Georgetown University. He is CEO of NobleReach Foundation, which is focused on catalyzing and inspiring a renewed spirit of national service through innovation. Get Arun's book here: https://rb.gy/9eu518 Venture Meets Mission: Aligning People, Purpose, and Profit to Innovate and Transform Society Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Jan 17, 202456 min

414: How to resign from your job the right way (Strategy Skills classics)

How can you resign from your job with dignity, compassion, and grace, without burning any bridges with your employer? For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we share simple principles to help you leave your role in a way that leaves a positive impression on your superiors, colleagues, and organization. Do you have a story about resigning? Tell us more with a comment below. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Jan 15, 202418 min

413: Best-selling author and Harvard Business School professor, Ranjay Gulati — Courageous Leadership

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 413, an interview with the author of Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies, Ranjay Gulati. In his book, Ranjay reveals the fatal mistakes leaders unwittingly make when attempting to implement a reason for being. Moreover, he shows how companies can embed purpose much more deeply than they currently do, delivering impressive performance benefits that reward customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, and communities alike. To get purpose right, leaders must fundamentally change not only how they execute it but also how they conceive of and relate to it. Ranjay Gulati is the Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor and the former Unit Head of the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School. Until recently, he chaired the Advanced Management Program, the flagship senior leader executive program, at the school. Professor Gulati has been ranked as one of the top ten most-cited academics in the fields of economics and business by ISI-Incite and has received similar recognition from The Economist, Financial Times, and the Economist Intelligence Unit. Professor Gulati studies how "resilient" organizations—those that prosper both in good times and bad—drive growth and profitability. His work bridges strategy (establishing clear strategic pillars for growth), organizational design (reimagining purposeful and collaborative organizational systems), and leadership (fostering inspired, courageous, and caring execution). Get Ranjay's book here: https://rb.gy/31r53k Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Jan 10, 202453 min

412: Overall goal of every consulting interaction (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss the overall goal of every consulting interaction. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Jan 8, 20248 min

411: How important is corporate strategy? (Strategy Skills Classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss the importance of corporate strategy. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Jan 3, 20249 min

410: How to run a scenario planning session (Strategy Skills Classics)

For this episode, let's revisit the 47th podcast on the Corporate Strategy & Transformation study. As I mentioned in previous posts, the reason we spend so much time on visioning workshop is because if you ever take a senior role in strategy in any company, or if you ever serve as a corporate strategy consultant, running a visioning workshop or corporate strategy workshop, in general, is the skill you must have. And scenario planning is something used extensively in visioning workshops. In this podcast and related article, we discuss what is scenario planning and how to run a scenario planning session during a visioning workshop as part of a consulting engagement. There is also a very elegant way to combine corporate finance and corporate strategy to help companies develop effective strategies under extreme uncertainty. Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Jan 1, 202414 min

409: Being competitive the right way (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit the 42nd podcast on the Corporate Strategy & Transformation study. What I noticed on this, and other studies is that the associates and business analysts are very competitive, in a way that is damaging to clients, to the firm and to their own careers. I am fine with consultants being competitive but I think they go about it the wrong way. You can be competitive and work long hours but you should not seem to be competitive when you are working long hours. I am not saying don't work long hours. Yet, don't make it sound like you are competitive and that is why you are working long hours. Cause and effect matters. If you work hard to be competitive, people see you as someone who is working hard only because you want to get promoted and only because you want to stand out from everyone else. These consultants tend to be so obsessed with telling people how committed they are that they are moving away from the objective of getting the right work done. No one likes someone who is competitive for the sake of being competitive. Because this is just wasted energy. If you are being competitive for the sake of being competitive, versus focusing on the client and working hard to solve a problem resulting in the by-product of you being competitive, you are basically just wasting valuable time that you could use much more productively. If people just think you are competing with them they don't want to help you, they don't want to work with you. Yet, if they see you as someone who is like them but for whatever reason needs to work harder because the client needs it they tend to like you more. They tend to relate to you better. And that dynamic becomes good for your career. In this podcast, we discuss in detail how to go about being competitive on consulting projects while projecting the proper image and maintaining the right mindset to deliver the best value for the client and the firm. Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Dec 27, 202314 min

408: Professional values on studies (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we will talk about general professional values or etiquette that consultants should apply during an engagement. We specifically discuss things that consultants sometimes do on studies that may alienate the client. And rather than talking about every single thing you need to avoid, we will talk about some principles. And these principles apply across every issue. We also discuss how to address a situation where a consultant's behavior is incompatible with the firm's professional values. Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Dec 25, 202316 min

407: If objective function is known, It's not a corporate strategy (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss how to identify a corporate strategy. It is actually very simple to know if a study qualifies as a corporate strategy study. Irrespective of what anyone tells you, if you go into a strategy study where the key question – or what we call an objective function – is known to you, then it is not a corporate strategy. This is because corporate strategy is not about knowing how to maximize an objective function. It is about choosing the objective function you want to maximize. That is the key difference between corporate strategy and every other kind of strategy. So, if you are in consulting, in an internal consulting role, or interested in strategy consulting, you should know there is a significant difference between corporate strategy and the other types of strategy analyses like business unit strategy, market entry strategy, etc. And in this podcast, we explain the two requirements that must exist for an engagement to be a corporate strategy study. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Dec 20, 202313 min

406: How to communicate recommendations (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss how to communicate recommendations that are radical in nature. If the recommendations are presented too early, they are hypotheses with little data backing them and they can be easily challenged. If the recommendations are presented at the end, it shocks the client and there likely will be little agreement from the client. The solution is to present early but to present them as hypotheses. That seems easy, but this podcast explains the communication mistakes that occur when most consultants present complex hypotheses very early, and how to fix them. You will learn that communication, your choice of words, and the way you emphasize them can dramatically alter the way the client interprets what you are saying. In fact, the emphasis will radically alter the meaning. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Dec 18, 202314 min

405: New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Rich Horwath — How to Develop Your Strategic Fitness

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 405, an interview with the author of Strategic, Rich Horwath. In his book, Rich delivers an incisive roadmap to help leaders at all levels think, plan, and act strategically to navigate every business challenge they face. The book offers business leaders a proven framework―the Strategic Fitness System―containing dozens of tools, techniques, and checklists to confidently master every area of the business, from designing market-winning strategies to shaping the organization's culture. Rich Horwath is founder and CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute where he is a strategy facilitator, advisor, and coach to executive leadership teams. He is the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of eight books on strategic thinking and rated the number one keynote speaker on strategy at national events, including the Society for Human Resource Management Strategy Conference. Rich has helped more than a quarter million people develop their strategic thinking and planning capabilities over the past 20 years in pursuit of his vision to teach the world to be strategic. Get Rich's book here: https://rb.gy/ml6vk9 Strategic: The Skill to Set Direction, Create Advantage, and Achieve Executive Excellence Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Dec 13, 202352 min

404: B2B Sales Expert, Rana Salman, on Internal and External Strategies for Optimizing Your Sales Conversations and Communicating Solutions

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 404, an interview with Rana Salman, M.B.A, PhD, a renowned expert in the sales industry who is transforming the performance of sales teams worldwide. With a background in marketing and years of experience in enterprise-level B2B sales, she has established herself as a trusted partner for global organizations seeking to elevate their sales strategies and execution. As the founder of Salman Consulting, LLC, Salman collaborates with midsize and Fortune 500 IT companies to create tailored sales strategies, develop compelling sales content, and deliver impactful training sessions. Whether it's in-person, through webinars, or on-demand, her expertise in sales and sales enablement ensures an optimized end-to-end customer experience that fosters loyalty and drives revenue growth. Beyond her consulting work, Salman is a cofounder of WiSE (Women in Sales Enablement), a thriving networking group connecting female sales enablement professionals from around the world. Through WiSE, she facilitates the exchange of ideas and knowledge-sharing among industry peers. She was recognized as one of the Women Making an Impact in Enablement by Sales Enablement PRO in 2022 and named one of the Top Female Sales Practitioners for Your Next Panel, Presentation, or Podcast by Sales Hacker in 2021. Her expertise has also led her to be a sought-after guest speaker at prestigious events like the Texas Conference for Women, Sales Enablement Society Conference, and Competitive Marketing Summit. Get Rana's book here: https://rb.gy/i7ix7c Sales Essentials: The Tools You Need at Every Stage to Close More Deals and Crush Your Quota Here are free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Dec 11, 202350 min

403: Grooming corporate leaders (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we spoke about the approach and philosophy used by the study leadership team in a power sector corporate strategy study as they guide and mentor corporate leaders at the client. We discuss the four pillars on which our leadership philosophy is built and use practical examples to demonstrate how we help clients adopt these principles. The four pillars are: Sincere authenticity matters. Embrace – don't hide – leadership flaws. Forget about image. Focus on results. This approach is about helping corporate leaders be successful in the short term. If you would like to learn more about this leadership work, please read this article. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Dec 6, 202318 min

402: Consulting: Confidence & getting results (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit one of Strategy Skills classics where we discuss something that affects every consultant in the world: the issue of confidence – or even arrogance – and its role in getting results on a consulting engagement. We discuss the role that confidence plays in your career and look at what actually creates a competitive advantage in your career. We also look at an example that showcases the limited value of confidence in a consulting engagement. Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Dec 4, 202317 min

401: How to conduct a value chain analysis (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit one of Strategy Skills classics where we take a brief look at how to conduct a value chain analysis. Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Nov 29, 20238 min

400: What the NYPD teaches us about complex corporate strategy (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit one of Strategy Skills classics where we discuss corporate strategy. In this episode, we explain why conventional and step-by-step strategy analysis will always yield incorrect answers in any corporate strategy study. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Nov 27, 202332 min

399: 5 tips to fight fatigue (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit one of Strategy Skills classics where we shared five tips to fight fatigue. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Nov 22, 202316 min

398: Northwestern University Professor, Lan Nguyen Chaplin — How to Disrupt a System That Was Built to Hold You Back

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 398, an interview with a Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications, at Northwestern University, Lan Nguyen Chaplin. In this episode, we focused on how to disrupt a system that was built to hold you back. We also touched on to move past an embarrassing moment at work. Lan Nguyen Chaplin, Ph.D. is Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications, at Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. She is also a member of the Core Faculty, Golub Capital Social Impact Lab at Kellogg School of Management. She received her Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Minnesota (Carlson School of Management), and her B.A. in neuroscience with a concentration in behavioral medicine from the University of Pennsylvania. She was named one of the Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professors in the world by Poets & Quants (November 2018) and set a new record for top undergraduate professor nominations in the process. She has taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Villanova School of Business, University of Arizona, Eller College of Management, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she was also the Head Coach of the Illinois Women's Lacrosse Club team, and the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management. Professor Nguyen Chaplin conducts research in the areas of children's consumer behavior and branding. She publishes in outlets including, Science, Harvard Business Review, Journal of Consumer Research, Psychological Science, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Child Development, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. Her research has been covered by TIME, Forbes, National Geographic, The New York Times, Fortune, Esquire Magazine, MSN, NBC Boston, ABC news radio, CBS news, Washington Times, Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Parenting, Scientific American, Smithsonian Magazine, New York Magazine, Popular Science, Psychology Today, and Glamour. Her article with Marsha Richins titled "Material Parenting: How the Use of Goods in Parenting Fosters Materialism in the Next Generation," won Best Paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research (Financial Times top 50 business journals), in 2018 and was one of the most highly cited JCR articles in 2016. Her work on the development of materialism in children won one of the most prestigious awards in the marketing discipline—the ACR-Sheth award for public purpose research. She and her collaborators have presented their research throughout the USA and around the globe (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, and Singapore). She serves on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, Journal of Consumer Affairs, and Journal of Positive Psychology. Professor Nguyen Chaplin teaches at the Ph.D., MBA, and undergraduate levels and has received numerous teaching accolades. Visit Lan's website: https://lanchaplin.com/ Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Nov 20, 202347 min

398: CEO and Founder of Vanderbloemen Search Group, William Vanderbloemen — A guide to hiring the best talent

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 398, an interview with the author of Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest, William Vanderbloemen. In his book, William reveals how job seekers, employees, hiring managers and company leaders everywhere can stand out from their peers and become irreplaceable, building the careers they've always wanted. William Vanderbloemen has been leading the Vanderbloemen Search Group for 15 years, where they are regularly retained to identify the best talent for teams, manage succession planning, and consult on all issues regarding teams. This year, Vanderbloemen will complete their 3,000th executive search. Prior to founding Vanderbloemen Search Group, William studied executive search under a mentor with 25+ years of executive search at the highest level. His learning taught him the very best corporate practices, including the search strategies used by the internationally known firm Russell Reynolds. Prior to that, William served as a Senior Pastor at one of the largest Presbyterian Churches in the United States. Get William's book here: https://rb.gy/45lms Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Nov 15, 202341 min

397: Period case studies (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit one of Strategy Skills classics where we discuss a special type of case study called a period case study which is significantly harder to do, but incredibly useful. Most consultants prefer case studying the latest and greatest fad, which is extremely misleading, as explained in this podcast. Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Nov 13, 202312 min

396: CEO OF KUSI Global, Inc. and Harvard University Fellow, Talia Fox — The Power of Conscious Connection

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 396, an interview with the author of The Power of Conscious Connection: 4 Habits to Transform How You Live and Lead. In this book, Talia shares her methodology for transforming how we live and lead by first tapping into our own power so that we can make choices that align best with what really matters to us as individuals. The Power of Conscious Connection is a blueprint for a more conscious, compassionate, and connected world. Each page of this book will stir you to the core, awaken your senses, and challenge you to commit to a new way of living and leading. In a time where division seems to prevail, Talia Fox reminds us of our potential for coming together. Talia Fox is the CEO of KUSI Global, Inc. She holds an M.Ed. in counseling psychology from Howard University and she is a Harvard University Fellow. An inspirational leader in every sense of the word, Talia is often referred to as the Jedi of Inspiration by her clients. With over two decades of experience in transforming thousands of executives from all sectors, she has become a visionary for leadership and legacy building. Her extensive background in psychology and education has given her the tools she needs to assist leaders in developing successful strategies for complex missions, ranging from defense systems to healthcare initiatives. As CEO of KUSI Global, Inc., Talia helps organizations like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Harvard University, Transunion, the National Institutes of Health, Howard University, and the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs maximize human potential by leveraging strategic intelligence and helps individuals and organizations foster connected cultures and promote conscious equity. Get Talia's book here: https://shorturl.at/aiwAQ The Power of Conscious Connection: 4 Habits to Transform How You Live and Lead Visit Talia's website: https://kusitraining.com/ Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Nov 8, 202352 min

395: The organizational design stream (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit one of Strategy Skills classics where we discuss the tough work being done by the Organizational Design team. We discuss the three tensions which drive all Organizational Design recommendations and the trade-offs required. We also spoke about the most important requirement to implement a new culture and structure at any company, and it is quite simple to do. As you will see, the Organizational Design stream is struggling in the study. Click here to see the full Corporate Strategy & Transformation study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Nov 6, 202315 min

394: Avoiding the strategy echo chamber (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit one of Strategy Skills classics where we discuss why you should avoid the strategy echo chamber. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Nov 1, 202314 min

393: What makes it a transformation study? (Strategy Skills classics)

For this episode, let's revisit one of the classics by Strategy Skills where we discuss what makes a study a "transformation study" and how to determine if an organization is going through a transformation or something else, such as restructuring. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Oct 30, 202322 min

392: USA Champion Gymnast turned entrepreneur & VC, Lisa Carmen Wang — Overcoming Good Girl Brainwashing

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 392, an interview with the author of The Bad Bitch Business Bible, Lisa Carmen Wang. The Bad Bitch Business Bible is Lisa's no-holds-barred guide for women who want to break free of Good Girl Brainwashing and take charge of their bodies, boundaries, and bank accounts. Interweaving intimate personal stories with large life lessons, Lisa shows you how to transform from insecure good girl to unapologetic Bad Bitch so you can start earning the money, power, and respect you deserve. Lisa Carmen Wang is the Founder & CEO of BAD BITCH EMPIRE, a community investment platform building unapologetic worth and wealth for women. She is a former 4-Time USA National Champion & Hall of Fame Gymnast turned serial entrepreneur, angel investor, venture capitalist, certified executive coach, and global speaker. She has been named Forbes 30 under 30 in Venture Capital, Entrepreneur Magazine's 100 Most Powerful Women, Fast Company Executive Board, and Red Bull Hero of The Year. Featured on WSJ, Forbes, Fortune, Reuters, Bloomberg, Business Insider, and more. Lisa began her career at a $15 billion dollar hedge fund, is a graduate of Yale University, and is on a lifelong mission to help women build unapologetic worth and wealth. Visit Lisa's website and check out her new book: https://www.lisawang.co/ Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Oct 25, 202349 min