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

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 255, an episode with the CEO and managing partner at Velocity Group, Edward Sullivan. Get Edward's book here: https://amzn.to/3HT2Hy4 In this episode, Edward discussed the best practices that leaders and companies do to address mental health issues and the real cause of the great resignation. He spoke about the gravity of work-life balance, care, and understanding as part of an employee retention strategy. For decades, we have avoided discussing the topic of mental health around the workplace. It was considered a weakness and could greatly derail one's career. We operated under the assumption of manifesting the "executive presence," which covertly added up to pressure and stress on the employees. As companies have responded to the challenges brought by Covid in recent years, they are learning to consider mental health as a common issue in the workplace and taking employees' well-being in a serious manner. The great resignation caused a stir in how companies view and treat their employees. As Edward mentioned in this episode, "employees are not leaving in the great resignation because of company benefits, they are fleeing from toxic work cultures." Edward Sullivan holds an MBA from the Wharton School and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. His 25-year career as an executive coach and political consultant has taken him around the globe coaching and advising start-up founders, Fortune 500 executives, and heads of state of foreign nations. His work has been featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, Fast Company, USA Today, and Nasdaq, among others. Get Edward's book here: Leading with Heart: 5 Conversations That Unlock Creativity, Purpose, and Results, Edward Sullivan and John Baird: https://amzn.to/3HT2Hy4 Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 254, an episode with the Founder and visionary Managing Director of Bandelli & Associates, Dr. Adam C. Bandelli. Get Adam's book here: https://amzn.to/3nhGgsC "It is very important for leaders to not only surround themselves with great talent but build really strong partnerships with their people." - Adam Bandelli In this episode, Adam speaks about how reliance on technology has kept people technologically connected but has prevented them from building genuine and sustainable relationships. Covid has exacerbated this problem, especially when organizations started hybrid work models. In order to improve the level of connectivity and build strong long-lasting personal and professional relationships, Adam laid out the five key skills that make up relational intelligence: Establishing Rapport, Understanding Others, Embracing Individual Differences, Developing Trust, and Cultivating Influence. Dr. Adam C. Bandelli has 20 years of management and leadership advisory consulting experience in the firm's service offerings, including board consultation, senior executive selection, leadership development, CEO succession, organizational culture, and transformational change. Adam is an expert on communication, relational intelligence, and leadership effectiveness having worked with CEOs and senior executives to strengthen their abilities to inspire and influence their people, teams, and organizations. The mission of his firm is to help leaders identify, unlock, and unleash their true potential. Adam has worked with executives around the world in organizations ranging from small start-up firms through global Fortune 100 companies. Prior to founding Bandelli & Associates, Adam was a Partner at Korn Ferry, where he led the Private Equity assessment practice for North America. Earlier in his career, he was a Partner at RHR International, where he served as one of the firm's leaders on Board and CEO Succession, High Potential Development, Senior Team Effectiveness, and Executive Assessments. Adam is the author of the books Relational Intelligence: The Five Essential Skills You Need to Build Life-Changing Relationships, and What Every Leader Needs: The Ten Universal and Indisputable Competencies of Leadership Effectiveness, which have received strong reviews from prominent business leaders. Adam received his Ph.D. and master's degrees from the University of South Florida in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and a bachelor's degree concentrating in Psychology and Business Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Acknowledged as an expert on leadership, relational intelligence, and organizational culture, he is a frequent speaker at business and professional meetings including the Society of Consulting Psychology and the Society of Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Relational Intelligence: The Five Essential Skills You Need to Build Life-Changing Relationships. Dr. Adam C. Bandelli: https://amzn.to/3nhGgsC Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 253, an episode with Emeritus Professor at UCLA Anderson, Richard Rumelt. Get Richard's book here: https://amzn.to/3OrNfuK In this episode, Richard iterated the real meaning of strategy, which many companies today confuse with a list of their goals and ambitions. Strategy is problem-solving – a clever way of dealing with a challenge, opponent, or problem. It also involves selecting which battle you fight because you cannot fight them all. As a great strategist, you need to select battles that you can win. Richard also explained the crux or the biggest challenge that companies need to identify, emphasize, and concentrate their resources on until it is fixed or solved. As Richard mentioned in this episode, "the primary thing about strategy is that it is about a concentration of resources. It is about focus." Richard Rumelt received his doctorate from the Harvard Business School in 1972, having previously earned a Master of Science in electrical engineering from UC Berkeley. He worked as a systems engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratories and served on the faculty of the Harvard Business School. He joined the UCLA faculty in 1976. He also served as a faculty at INSEAD, France for three years. At INSEAD, Rumelt headed the Corporate Renewal Initiative, a research-intervention center devoted to the study and practice of corporate transformation. Rumelt was president of the Strategic Management Society from 1995 to 1998. He received the Irwin Prize for his book Strategy, Structure, and Economic Performance. In 1997, he was appointed Telecom Italia Strategy Fellow, a position he held until April 2000. He has won teaching awards at UCLA and received a best paper prize in 1997 from the Strategic Management Journal. Get Richard's book here: The Crux: How Leaders Become Strategists, Richard Rumelt: https://amzn.to/3OrNfuK Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 252, an episode with a thought leader and global expert on infectious diseases and vaccine safety, Jan Bonhoeffer M.D. Get Jan's book here: https://amzn.to/3y2x4hZ In this episode, Jan spoke about his medical career journey, working with different interesting organizations, and how he realized there was a missing piece: care. He spoke about how we often become so focused on solving a problem that we forget to give attention to what we care about – what gives us joy and fulfillment. In any business or profession, the key is to serve a much bigger purpose, taking your identity into account. As Michael mentioned in this conversation, "True leadership is about understanding who you are." Leading with empathy requires understanding who you are to resonate and connect with the people you interact with. Bonhoeffer serves as professor of pediatrics, infectious diseases, and vaccines at the University of Basel Children's Hospital, Switzerland. As a former consultant with the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control, he co-authored more than 120 peer-reviewed articles in medical journals and led epidemiological pediatric infectious disease and vaccine studies, including international research consortia. For 18 years, he led the Brighton Collaboration, a global leader in not-for-profit vaccine safety research setting research standards, conducting large internationally collaborative research, and investigating vaccine safety concerns. He was a Strategic Advisory Group Member of the WHO Global Vaccine Safety Initiative (GVSI) implementing the vaccine safety strategy of the Global Vaccine Action Plan. Bonhoeffer graduated from the University of Basel Medical School, Switzerland, and worked in the U.S., the UK, India, and Switzerland. In 2015, he underwent a significant shift in the way that he thought about medicine. He realized that most of the significant moments in his work as a doctor happened when he wasn't simply executing what he learned in medical school, but when he was participating in a healing event with the patient. He realized that central to this is the quality of the interaction between the health care provider and the patient. It is in this space that innovation, healing, and creativity happens, but he realized that almost everything he had learned in medical school had taught him to skip over what happens in this space. This realization prompted Bonhoeffer to start Heart-Based Medicine, a global network of health care professionals and patients exploring the natural healing potential of the health care provider and the patient, and to co-create his new book Dare to Care. His mission is to inspire medical professionals to reclaim empathy and compassion as primary facets of healing to overcome the disillusion and burnout they often encounter in today's mechanized medical culture. Bonhoeffer is married to Jessica Templeton-Bonhoeffer, a developmental pediatrician and co-founder of Youkidoc Kindergesundheit, a heart-based medical center for children and their families in Basel, Switzerland. They have three children. Dare to Care: How to Survive and Thrive in Today's Medical World. Jan Bonhoeffer M.D.: https://amzn.to/3y2x4hZ Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 251, an episode with a leading Yale expert and serial entrepreneur, Barry Nalebuff. Get Barry's book here: https://amzn.to/3OiNiJs For thirty years, Barry has taught negotiation, innovation, strategy, and game theory at Yale School of Management, which led him to develop a new approach toward negotiation. This approach is vastly different from how most people think about negotiation, which usually involves having the best tactic to out-smart the other party and get the best deal. This podcast explains the concept of the negotiation pie, which is the additional value created through an agreement to work together. It exhibits fairness and identifies what's really at stake in any negotiation. We share examples that showcase negotiation principles and a different mindset about creating value that benefits both parties involved – more importantly, understanding the views of each party as if they are solving problems rather than making the most out of the negotiation. Barry is the co-author of seven books and an online course. Thinking Strategically and The Art of Strategy are two crossover books on game theory with more than 400,000 copies in print. Co-opetition looks beyond zero-sum games to emphasize the potential for cooperating while competing. Why Not? offers a framework for problem-solving and ingenuity. Lifecycle Investing provides a new strategy for retirement investing. Mission in a Bottle tells the story of Honest Tea. His most recent book is Split the Pie, which is based on his negotiation course at SOM. An online version of the negotiation course is available for free on Coursera. It has 400,000 active learners and is the second-highest rating on the Coursera platform. In 1998, Barry—together with his former student Seth Goldman—co-founded Honest Tea. In 2011, the company was purchased by Coca-Cola. His second venture, Kombrewcha, is a slightly alcoholic version of kombucha. The company was acquired in 2016 by AB-Inbev. He is currently working to build Real Made Foods. He works with many entrepreneurial firms. He serves on the board of Q Drinks (started by his former student Jordan Silbert), Calicraft Beer, and AGP Glass. Alongside startups, he has extensive experience consulting with multinational firms. He advised the NBA in their prior negotiations with the National Basketball Players Association and served on the board of Nationwide Insurance. A graduate of MIT, a Rhodes Scholar, and a Junior Fellow at Harvard's Society of Fellows, Nalebuff earned his doctorate at Oxford University. Get Barry's book here: Split the Pie: A Radical New Way to Negotiate. Barry Nalebuff: https://amzn.to/3OiNiJs Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 250, an episode with one of Silicon Valley's most renowned business advisors and coaches, Tom Eddington. "There's always a challenge, and there's always an opportunity." - Tom Eddington In this episode with Tom, we discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a multitude of issues today – not only for individuals but also for most organizations. One of the biggest problems that every organization has faced because of COVID is retaining employees. Over the last couple of years, we've seen the mass resignation, and it's been a challenge across all industries to attract and retain talent. Organizations adapted to a virtual workforce, and people have spent the last two years working remotely; the idea of moving back to a physical location has required a lot of reconsideration. Some companies exhibited higher productivity rates with a reduced workforce during that time. They delivered more financial results but took a tremendous toll as leadership teams are extremely stressed and exhausted. The long-term effects of COVID continue, impacting individuals and organizations. COVID has delivered a message to the world – a warning sign. COVID is a knock-on effect of climate change, as opposed to being an epidemic. Climate change is by far the biggest issue we face. As we destroy the ecosystem, we lose biodiversity. This results in bacterial infections and viral infections, which become pandemics such as COVID. We are seeing the impact of climate change, and we are at the most critical decade in human history where we need to do something fundamentally different. "Business talks about how we become climate-conscious from today, but I've never heard a business leader talk about what we are going to do about what's already out there." - Michael Tom Eddington works with some of the most influential CEOs and non-profit leaders, advising them on everything from global mergers and organizational change to conscious leadership and work/life integration. He understands the pressures business leaders face. Having spent the last three decades as a consultant, educator, entrepreneur, and strategic advisor, he has dedicated his life to studying and teaching board, leadership, and organization effectiveness – focusing on how they grow, achieve, and sustain effectiveness while remaining stewards for their stakeholders. Tom has lived, worked, and studied on six continents, working with leaders across all industry sectors and organization stages of development. His work as a student, mentor, coach, and advisor focuses on conscious leadership. His motto: Take care of matters within yourself to make the most possible impact in the outside world. Tom has sought out opportunities to teach and work in the private, public, academic, and non-profit sectors working with industry leaders and most-admired organizations, including HP, W.L. Gore, MBNA Corporation, Royal Dutch/Shell, and Taproot Foundation. He assists organizations in fostering leadership on all levels. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

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. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we explain what it means to be a conceptual thinker and how to demonstrate this skill. If you work at any major consulting firm – and especially if you want to be promoted – you must prove you are a conceptual thinker. The only problem is that it is hard to define the word conceptual. In this podcast, we explain a similar problem experienced by a consultant on the Corporate Strategy & Transformation Study and how I helped them improve. The definition also explains why a conceptual thinker is a functional specialist (in strategy, operations, corporate finance, etc.) and almost never a specialist in sectors. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

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. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

For this episode, let's revisit one of Strategy Skills classics 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. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

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. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 244, an interview with globally recognized academic thought-leader on digital transformation and innovation management, Satish Nambisan. Get Satish's book here: https://amzn.to/3QpWQE3 In this episode, Satish spoke about real-world examples of companies that use digital technology as their unique competency to move and globalize faster. He defined "globalization" and "digital" in a broader perspective, and elaborated on their role in a company to thrive through an emotional connection with customers. Satish also explained the idea of tight and loose coupling and how it allows companies to continuously adapt to disturbances that happen in different parts of the world without reinventing the business model, processes, or operations. Satish Nambisan, Ph.D. is the Nancy and Joseph Keithley Professor of Technology Management at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University. His current work focuses on how digital technologies, platforms, and ecosystems shape innovation, entrepreneurship, and international business. His publications have appeared in journals such as Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Management Science, Journal of International Business Studies, Organization Science, Academy of Management Review, and Stanford Social Innovation Review. He is the co-author of The Global Brain: Your Roadmap for Innovating Faster and Smarter in a Networked World (Wharton School Publishing). His latest book is The Digital Multinational: Navigating the New Normal in Global Business (MIT Press, 2022). Get Satish's book here: The Digital Multinational: Navigating the New Normal in Global Business (Management on the Cutting Edge). Satish Nambisan & Yadong Luo: https://amzn.to/3QpWQE3 Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 243, an interview with a business coach and change leadership expert, Richard Hawkes. Get Richard's book here: https://amzn.to/3Oe5ljU In this session, Richard shared his experiences with building a consultancy, working shoulder to shoulder with leaders and teams to grow and scale all kinds of companies – in the US and in countries all over the world, but especially in Germany. He shared a little bit about how his worldview has changed throughout his journey from thinking of companies in a fragmented way – with different kinds of views, cultures, leadership, strategies, and processes – to thinking in an integrated way. He laid out a powerful framework that any team can apply to overcome the most common leadership challenges. Richard S. Hawkes is the author of Navigate the Swirl and the CEO and Founder of Growth River, an international consultancy that guides leaders and teams to create higher performance in businesses and organizations. Hawkes helps companies identify and resolve constraints to success. Clients include Edward Jones, GENEWIZ, Hitachi, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Mars. Hawkes received a B.A. in Computer Science and German Literature from Hamilton College and an M.B.A. in Marketing and Organizational Development from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Get Richard's book here: Navigate the Swirl: 7 Crucial Conversations for Business Transformation. Richard S. Hawkes: https://amzn.to/3Oe5ljU Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 242, an interview with the CEO of YSC Consulting, Eric Pliner. Get Eric's book here: https://amzn.to/3HpM1hf In this video, Eric shared his career journey, experience with adjusting to consulting, and how to become a successful consultant while maintaining a healthy life balance. He discussed the reasons why his company survived and thrived during the pandemic. As a CEO, he spoke about the top things that he looks for when promoting an employee and the red flags that employees must be aware of to avoid or eliminate. Eric shared the realizations that made him a stronger leader over the course of his journey to the top of his company. He emphasized the importance of constant learning and listening to other people, and that as a leader, you have to get over the idea that your job is to make everyone happy. You will disappoint people down the road, but how you handle that disappointment will make the difference between being a long-term leader or a short-term leader. Eric shared his advice on how to better make difficult decisions and how to build confidence when facing challenging decision-making situations. For more than twenty-five years, Eric Pliner has been a recognized leader in the fields of leadership development, organizational culture, education and training, and strategic diversity and inclusion. He is Chief Executive Officer of YSC Consulting, a global leadership strategy consultancy headquartered in London. Eric's writing on leadership has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, and a host of other business and industry publications. He is a Board Director with Hip Hop Public Health, a member of the Dramatists' Guild of America, and an author/co-author of a wide variety of published academic, creative, and professional works, including award-winning case studies on leadership; the U.S. National Standards for Health Education; and an off-Broadway theatrical parody of television cartoons for adults (with Amy Rhodes). He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Get Eric's book here: Difficult Decisions: How Leaders Make the Right Call with Insight, Integrity, and Empathy. Eric Pliner: https://amzn.to/3HpM1hf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 241, an episode with scientist, inventor, writer, speaker, and entrepreneur, Alex Bäcker. Get Alex's book here: https://amzn.to/3HqNfZu In this episode, Alex spoke about the main ingredients of a successful life and the key to happiness. He discussed why he wrote his book, 101 Clues to a Happy Life, and shared how having children exponentially changed his life and perspective. Alex also elaborated on the role of sunlight in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and the potential role of vitamin D. In this conversation, he shared valuable advice related to business, finding business partners and investors, and the practical steps that should be implemented to attain success and happiness. Alex Bäcker is the founder and CEO of QLess and co-founder at Drisit. He holds 11 patents and in 2021 was named among the top 100 MIT alumni in technology. His seminal papers on COVID and sunlight were picked up by the press around the world. Alex is a National Champion of Informatics and holds a degree in Biology and Economics from MIT, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Computation and Neural Systems and Biology from the California Institute of Technology, where he was awarded the Dean's Award for "great contributions and outstanding qualities of Leadership and Responsibility." He has held positions at McKinsey & Co.; the Center for Computation, Computers, Information and Mathematics of Sandia National Labs; and Caltech. Alex devised the idea of QLess while standing in a line. Prior to starting QLess, Alex was also the founder of a pioneer of search engine marketing technology, the invention factory, that has boosted the reach of search engine marketing campaigns by up to 580% while simultaneously reducing their cost per action by up to 78%. It is a semantic people search engine with machine vision, which beat Google and every other search engine tested 3 to 1 or more in results relevance in a blind people search comparison, and the first resume- or file-based search engine. Alex was appointed by the President to serve in the California Institute of Technology's Information Sciences and Technology Board of Advisors. In 2013, Alex was named the Gold Stevie Winner of IT Executive of the Year and Silver Stevie Winner of Innovator of the Year by the International Business Awards. In 2011, Alex was honored as the keynote speaker at LA County's Tech Week, an honor that was previously accorded a Nobel Prize winner, the CEO of Cisco, the CEO of Adobe, the Chairman of Deloitte, and an astronaut. In 2010, Alex was honored as one of "40 under 40" for the inaugural 40 Under 40 M&A Advisor Recognition Awards. Alex's research on neural coding and artificial intelligence has been published in the world's leading publications such as Nature and Neural Computation. Get Alex's book here: 101 Clues to a Happy Life. Alex Bäcker: https://amzn.to/3HqNfZu Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 240, an episode with best-selling author, lawyer, and art historian, Amy Herman. Get Amy's book here: https://amzn.to/3tCU9oV In this episode, Amy spoke about how art can renew our sense of vision and approach to problem solving. This method proves that everyone sees and interprets things differently, which shows that we need to become better communicators to solve our problems. She stressed that effective communication has a renewed significance now because we are communicating with our stakeholders in a virtual environment. For leaders of organizations, the most difficult thing for them to do is rethink their communication skills and make them as effective as they were before, which involves agility. Amy also spoke about confirmation bias – wherein people only hear what they want to hear – and how to realize that we are trapped in this way of looking at information. Building on the conversation, Amy spoke about well-known artists who reflect characteristics that a great leader can impersonate. Amy E. Herman is the founder and president of The Art of Perception, Inc., a New York-based organization that conducts professional development courses to leaders around the world, including at the FBI, CIA, Scotland Yard, and the Peace Corps. Herman was also the Director of Educational Development at Thirteen/WNET, the educational public television station serving New York and New Jersey, and the Head of Education at The Frick Collection for over ten years, where she oversaw all of the Collection's educational collaborations and community initiatives. An art historian and attorney, Herman holds a BA in International Affairs from Lafayette College, a JD from the National Law Center at George Washington University, and an MA in Art History from Hunter College. She is a member of the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Bar Associations. Herman channeled her dual degrees in art and law to create the successful Art of Perception program, and now trains thousands of professionals from Secret Service agents to church fundraisers. Herman is a world-renowned speaker who frequently presents at national and international conventions. She has been featured on the CBS Evening News, the BBC, and in countless print publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The London Times, New York Daily News, Smithsonian Magazine, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Get Amy's book here: Fixed.: How to Perfect the Fine Art of Problem Solving. Amy Herman: https://amzn.to/3tCU9oV Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 239, an episode with a renowned food journalist, Dan Saladino. Get Dan's book here: https://amzn.to/3NR1JV2 In this episode, Dan talks us through a very interesting topic: food extinction. He elaborated on the value of food diversity through factual examples and stories, and he explained the risks of homogeneity or genetic uniformity of crops, livestock, poultry, or other food supply, which adds more vulnerability to preserving these resources during a crisis. Dan Saladino is a renowned food journalist who has worked at the BBC for 25 years. For more than a decade, he has traveled the world recording stories of foods at risk of extinction—from cheeses made in the foothills of a remote Balkan mountain range to unique varieties of rice grown in southern China. His work has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation, the Guild of Food Writers, and the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards. Get Dan's book here: Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them. Dan Saladino: https://amzn.to/3NR1JV2 Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 238, an episode with a sought-after strategist and advisor, Kian Gohar. Get Kian's book here: https://amzn.to/3mOXe1y Many organizations have been caught flat-footed by disruptive changes – especially in the pandemic era – which has forced a lot of businesses to rethink their priorities to stay competitive in the post-pandemic world. Having the ability to identify trends that allow organizations to leverage potential threats and changes in the future will turn into great opportunities. But many organizations don't think this way and instead focus on what there is today and react to the changes later. In this episode, we discussed with Kian the key things that the pandemic taught us individually and as an organization. He spoke about the mindset and best practices of leaders and teams who were able to keep up, adapt, and remain competitive and advantageous during disruptions and continuous change. Kian also pointed out the key steps that leaders and organizations need to take and implement to build a competitive and thriving business. Kian Gohar is the CEO of innovation advisory firm Geolab and the former executive director of the XPRIZE Foundation and Singularity University. Kian has coached the C-suite of over 50 companies in the Fortune 500 and regularly keynotes, facilitates, and emcees major business conferences like the World Economic Forum, SXSW, the Tokyo Motor Show, and many others. His research on the Future of Work and innovation has been featured on CNBC, Axios, HBR, and other media. He inspires the world's leading organizations to harness innovation and moonshots to solve complex problems. He coaches entrepreneurs, executives, and leaders to make their impossible, possible. He is the co-author of Competing in the New World of Work with Keith Ferrazzi, published by Harvard Business Review in 2022, which is based on a global research project with 2,000+ global leaders to reveal the best leadership practices that helped the most successful teams thrive in the pandemic, and is a roadmap for any team at any organization to future-proof their way to success in the post-pandemic era. He is passionate about the intersection of innovation and impact, and his career spans venture capital, academia, and startups around the world. He is a member of the Transformational Leadership Council. Get Kian's book here: Competing in the New World of Work: How Radical Adaptability Separates the Best from the Rest. Kian Gohar & Keith Ferrazzi: https://amzn.to/3mOXe1y Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 237, an episode with workplace loneliness experts and thought leaders, Ryan Jenkins and Steven Van Cohen. Get Ryan's book here: https://amzn.to/3xtoIi3 In this episode, Ryan and Steven discuss a vital, sensitive, and very interesting topic: loneliness. Oftentimes, loneliness and emotional pain is taken lightly compared to physical pain. But physiologically, the effect is nearly the same. The conversation revolved around answering why do we feel lonely and how we can battle and address this issue. Ryan and Steven talked about the significance of awareness, connection, a sense of safety and belonging, and mental health, which largely contributes to resolving loneliness and is the key to developing a healthy personal and professional environment. Ryan Jenkins CSP® (Certified Speaking Professional™) is an internationally recognized keynote speaker and three-time published author. He speaks all over the world to companies such as State Farm, Salesforce, Wells Fargo, FedEx, Liberty Mutual, and John Deere. For a decade, he has been helping organizations create engaged, inclusive, and high-performing teams by lessening worker loneliness and closing generational gaps. Ryan's top-ranked insights have been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and The Wall Street Journal. He is also co-founder of LessLonely.com, the world's first resource fully dedicated to reducing worker isolation and strengthening team connections. Ryan lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife, three children, and yellow Labrador. Steven Van Cohen is a global leadership consultant, author, and executive coach. Steven has spent 12 years working with hundreds of leaders from organizations like Salesforce, The Home Depot, Komatsu, and Bridgestone, helping them improve worker well-being, reduce employee isolation, and boost team belonging. Dubbed "The Leadership Whisperer," Steven has inspired thousands through his workshops, keynotes, and virtual events. He is co-founder of LessLonely.com (the world's first resource for addressing loneliness at work) and CEO of SyncLX (a consultancy that works with many Fortune 500 companies.) Steven holds a Master of Science in Organizational Development from Pepperdine University and a BA from The University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. Steven lives in San Juan Capistrano, CA with his wife and two daughters. Get Ryan & Steven's book here: Connectable: How Leaders Can Move Teams From Isolated to All In. Ryan Jenkins & Steven Van Cohen: https://amzn.to/3xtoIi3 Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 236, an episode with the CEO of Meetup, David Siegel. Get David's book: https://amzn.to/39miGHV In this episode, David talks us through his epic journey of becoming and remaining the CEO of Meetup in spite of the challenges that the organization faced and, later on, conquered. He also spoke about Investopedia – which he was the CEO of prior to joining Meetup. David also highlighted and elaborated on what a community is, how it works, and the value that it brings. David Siegel is the CEO of Meetup, the largest platform for finding and building local community. He has over 20 years of experience as a technology and digital media executive leading organizations through innovative product development, rapid revenue growth, and digital traffic acceleration. Prior to joining Meetup, David was CEO of Investopedia. Before that, he was president of Seeking Alpha. He hosts the podcast Keep Connected, which is dedicated to the power of community. David holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics & Economics and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia University where he teaches strategic planning and entrepreneurship. He lives in White Plains, New York with his wife and three teenage children. In his spare time, he likes to pop in on Meetup events. Get David's book here: Decide and Conquer: 44 Decisions That Will Make or Break All Leaders. David Siegel: https://amzn.to/39miGHV Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 235, an episode with Ravin Jesuthasan, a global thought leader and best-selling author, and John Boudreau, a Professor Emeritus of Management and Organization at the University of Southern California. Get John's book here: https://amzn.to/3xQARyT In this episode, John and Ravin lay out the core principles of work operating systems, and their views about the future of work and jobs that are rapidly evolving through the emergence of alternative work arrangements, diversity, accelerating automation, and the underlying challenges and opportunities that leaders and organizations are battling to overcome. Ravin Jesuthasan is the global leader of Mercer's Transformation Services business. He is a recognized global thought leader, futurist, and author on the future of work and workforce transformation. He has led multiple research efforts on the global workforce, the emerging digital economy, the rise of artificial intelligence, and the transformation of work. Ravin has led numerous research projects for the World Economic Forum, including many of its ground-breaking studies on the transformation of work and the global workforce. He is a regular participant and presenter at the World Economic Forum's annual meetings in Davos and Dalian/Tianjin and is a member of the forum's Steering Committee on Work and Employment. Ravin has been a featured speaker at conferences in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America. He has also been featured and quoted extensively by leading business media, including CNN, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Fortune, FT, The Nikkei (Japan), Les Echoes (France), De Telegraaf (Netherlands), South China Morning Post, and Dubai One TV among others. Ravin was also an advisor to and featured prominently on PBS's widely acclaimed documentary series The Future of Work. Ravin is a frequent guest lecturer at universities around the world, including Oxford University, Northwestern University, New York University, and the University of Southern California. John Boudreau is recognized worldwide as one of the leading evidence-based visionaries on the future of work and organization. Through breakthrough research on the bridge between work, superior human capital, leadership, and sustainable competitive advantage, John W. Boudreau, Ph.D. is much sought after by organizations, businesses, and the academic world for his insight and innovation in the fields of Human Resources, Human Capital Management, and Executive Development. Dr. Boudreau is Professor Emeritus of Management and Organization and a Senior Research Scientist with the Center for Effective Organizations at the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California. His large-scale research studies and focused field research addresses the future of work and the global HR profession, work automation, HR measurement and analytics, decision-based HR, executive mobility, HR information systems, and organizational staffing and development. A strong proponent of corporate/academic partnerships, Dr. Boudreau helped to establish and then directed the Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies (CAHRS) at Cornell University, where he was a professor for more than 20 years. Get John and Ravin's book here: Work without Jobs: How to Reboot Your Organization's Work Operating System (Management on the Cutting Edge). John Boudreau & Ravin Jesuthasan: https://amzn.to/3xQARyT Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 234, an episode with a highly regarded economist and best-selling author, John A. List. Get John's book here: https://amzn.to/3MSCuAD In this episode, John defined scaling – an overused yet often confused word in the startup world today – and elaborated the term. He also spoke about the voltage effect and how it relates to scaling. The discussion revolved around the five vital signs that every scalable idea must possess to avoid voltage drops and gave numerous realistic examples to help us visualize each sign. John also shared the top things that we must keep in mind when making decisions related to scaling. Professor John A. List is the Kenneth C. Griffin Distinguished Service Professor in Economics at the University of Chicago. His research focuses on combining field experiments with economic theory to deepen our understanding of the economic science. In the early 1990s, List pioneered field experiments as a methodology for testing behavioral theories and learning about behavioral principles that are shared across different domains. He co-authored the international best seller, The Why Axis, in 2013. List was elected a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2011, and a Fellow of the Econometric Society in 2015. List received the 2010 Kenneth Galbraith Award, the 2008 Arrow Prize for Senior Economists for his research in behavioral economics in the field, and was the 2012 Yrjo Jahnsson Lecture Prize recipient. He is a current Editor of the Journal of Political Economy. Get John's book here: The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale. John A. List: https://amzn.to/3MSCuAD Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 233, an episode with a highly regarded leadership well-being coach, relationship expert, author, and speaker, Susan MacKenty Brady. Get Susan's Book here: https://amzn.to/3xlNu3q In this episode, Susan articulated the upside of the global pandemic, specifically the norms about how women manage, lead, communicate, and show up. She also discussed the definition of diversity and inclusiveness and the signs that companies are embracing it versus drifting away from the path of empathy and inclusive leadership. We discussed how to find the best version of yourself and how crucial it is to focus on your strengths and building from there. Susan Mackenty Brady is the Deloitte Ellen Gabriel Chair for Women and Leadership at Simmons University and the first Chief Executive Officer of The Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership. The Institute develops the mindset and skills of leaders at all stages of life so they can foster gender parity and cultures of inclusion. As a relationship expert, leadership well-being coach, author, and speaker, Susan educates leaders and executives globally on fostering self-awareness for optimal leadership. Susan advises executive teams on how to work together effectively and create inclusion and gender parity in organizations. She is passionate about working with women at all levels of organizational leadership to fully realize—and manifest—their leadership potential. Featured on ABC's Good Morning America, Susan is the author of Arrive & Thrive: 7 Essential Practices of Women Navigating Leadership (McGraw-Hill, April 2022); The Inclusive Leader's Playbook (Simmons University); Mastering Your Inner Critic and 7 Other High Hurdles to Advancement: How the Best Women Leaders Practice Self-Awareness to Change What Really Matters (McGraw-Hill); and The 30-Second Guide to Coaching Your Inner Critic. A celebrated speaker, Susan has keynoted or consulted at over 500 organizations around the world. Prior to joining Simmons, Susan was Executive Vice President at Linkage, Inc. a global leadership development consulting and training firm. She founded Linkage's Women in Leadership Institute™ and launched Linkage's global practice on Advancing Women Leaders and Inclusive Leadership, and led the field research behind the 7 Leadership Hurdles Women Leaders Face in the Workforce™. Dedicated to inclusively and collaboratively inspiring every girl to realize her full potential, Susan serves as emeritus board member of the not-for-profit Strong Women, Strong Girls. Get Susan's book here: Arrive & Thrive: 7 Essential Practices of Women Navigating Leadership. Janet Foutty, Lynn Perry Wooten, Ph.D., Susan MacKenty Brady: https://amzn.to/3xlNu3q Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 232, an episode with best-selling author and Customer and Employee Experience Strategist, Dr. Natalie Petouhoff. Get Natalie's book here: https://amzn.to/3O5lSqo In this episode, Natalie spoke about the need for empathy today and the shift we need to make from focusing on company-centric business strategies to creating employee and customer-centric experiences. She also discussed the importance of customer feedback and how Amazon has used it to thrive. Listening from the other person's point of view and putting yourself in the shoes of your customers and employees is the key to better human connection and success. Natalie is a Senior Customer Experience Strategist and Business Consultant at Genesys®. Her career spans many years in technology and customer and employee experience, holding positions in and consulting at companies including Salesforce, Hulu, Marriott, General Motors, General Electric, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Weber Shandwick, Forrester Research, PWC Consulting, Hughes Electronics, Pepsi, Verizon, Best Buy, Procter & Gamble, Chevrolet, and Electrolux. Her Ph.D. in Material Science and Engineering from the University of California and years as a "rocket scientist" provide her with the left-brain skills to strategically analyze how things work and redesign the world for a better future. In her endeavors, Natalie has focused on the interplay between the evolution of technology and who we are as humans. From her early days as an engineer, she remains a true believer in "what is good for employees and customers is ultimately what is also good for companies." As a speaker and participant at Singularity University, she's captivated by the rapid advancement and impact of exponential technologies and how they are reshaping our lives and businesses. Natalie's current passion is shifting outdated paradigms by juxtaposing current beliefs with seemingly contradictory ones to reveal insights to drive the future of work, customer's experiences, businesses and humanity forward. She believes we can imbue technology with our hopes and dreams for a future focused on bettering humanity. We just need to understand what we are optimizing for and why. Dr. Natalie is often quoted in NYTimes, USA Today, Bloomberg Businessweek, CRM Magazine, and Peppers and Rogers 1-to-1 Magazine and is also a featured commentator on TV and radio. As an accomplished public speaker, Dr. Natalie is keynote speaker at conferences, both virtual and in-person. Get Natalie's book here: Empathy In Action: How to Deliver Great Customer Experiences at Scale. Tony Bates, Dr. Natalie Petouhoff: https://amzn.to/3O5lSqo Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 231, an episode with the Chairman of The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), Ravi Venkatesan. Get Ravi's book here: https://amzn.to/3NUJOga In this episode, Ravi shared how he started believing in himself and his capabilities, which led to where he is today. He also spoke about the opportunities laying around challenges and the preparations we need to navigate these changes. The conversation revolved around the importance of perspective and mindset, how it contributes to the way we interact with other people, and how it shapes our reality. Ravi Venkatesan is the Chairman of The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) launched at COP26 with USD10 billion of committed capital to accelerate investment in green energy transitions and renewable energy solutions. He is also UNICEF's Special Representative for Young People and Innovation, and the Founder of the Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME). He serves on the Boards of Rockefeller Foundation, Hitachi Ltd. Ravi was the Chairman of Microsoft India, Bank of Baroda and Cummins India, and served as a co-chairman of Infosys Ltd. He is an alum of IIT Bombay and Harvard Business School. Ravi is the author of What The Heck Do I Do With My Life: How To Flourish In Our Turbulent Times and Conquering the Chaos: Win in India, Win Everywhere. He was voted as one of India's best management thinkers by Thinkers50 and as Microsoft's Alumni Hero 2020. Under Venkatesan's leadership between 2004 and 2011, India became Microsoft's second-largest geographic area and one of its fastest growing markets. Microsoft India was rated one of the country's most respected companies, among the most admired brands, and one of India's best employers. Get Ravi's new book here: What The Heck Do I Do With My Life: How To Flourish In Our Turbulent Times. Ravi Venkatesan: https://amzn.to/3NUJOga Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 230, an episode with best-selling author and dynamic keynote speaker, Don Schmincke. In this episode, Don spoke about the counterintuitive insights of successful companies, why some organizations have a lack of performance, and the challenges that CEOs today need to address. He also shared his journey and discovery of Biological Leadership and how it relates to the leadership that organizations apply today. Don has been accused by a NY press agency of providing "the most provocative and sensational view of business than any other speaker today." What else would you expect from an MIT and Johns Hopkins researcher who was nearly arrested as a capitalist spy in the Soviet Bloc, got shot off an aircraft carrier, survived in the Kurdish capital as the Ayatollah held hostages in Tehran, and developed missile inertial guidance systems while his frat brothers took Vegas (later portrayed in the movie "21")? Don Schmincke's irreverent humor and unconventional methods provide audiences with such a refreshing change compared to other status-quo topics that he's been called the world's "management renegade." His patent-pending offerings transcend typical programs via refreshing alternatives to trendy theories, unproven methods, and phony "experts." The industry agrees. Don's renowned books are The Code of the Executive and High Altitude Leadership (with NBC Emmy-nominated climber Chris Warner), which has been published in over 10 languages, endorsed by leading authorities, and recommended by top business schools and featured by CNN, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, MSNBC.com, and more than 60 industry publications annually. Don has been the host of the Executive Insights TV series and The Leader's Code radio program, and he has been acclaimed as a Top 10 speaker for the world's largest CEO organization. The high failure rates of pop-management theories drove Don's research using anthropology, evolutionary genetics, and biology to dispel the "program-of-the-month" syndrome that has frustrated CEOs and HR managers for so long. By using Don's science-driven leadership methods, companies experience accelerated results in sales, employee satisfaction, and cultural alignment. He admits, "Our work is politically incorrect but scientifically accurate." Get Don's Books Here: High Altitude Leadership: What the World's Most Forbidding Peaks Teach Us About Success: https://amzn.to/3aUCMcF The Code of the Executive: Forty-seven Ancient Samurai Principles Essential for Twenty-first Century Leadership Success: https://amzn.to/3xs4TYy Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 229, an episode with a Certified Forensic Interviewer, Michael Reddington. In this episode, Michael shares his knowledge as a CFI and how interviewing skills can be translated to the business world with the Disciplined Listening Method, an approach which he developed. He also spoke about the mindset shift that leaders and organizations need to take to gain a better understanding and awareness of other people's perspectives and reasoning. Michael Reddington CFI, is a certified forensic interviewer and the president of InQuasive Inc., a company that integrates the key components of effective nonconfrontational interview techniques with current business research for executives. As a Certified Forensic Interviewer, Michael achieved the highest professional designation available in the field of interview and interrogation and spent over a decade training investigators around the world on the successful application of nonconfrontational interview and interrogation techniques. Never one to be satisfied with his achievements, Michael arrived at two key realizations while expanding his observation and persuasive skill sets. First, the very best leaders and interrogators capitalize on the same two core skills - vision and influence. Second, the cognitive processes that lead customers to commit to saying, "I'll buy it," employees to commit to saying, "I'll do it," and suspects to commit to truthfully saying, "I did it" are all nearly identical. These realizations caused Michael to recognize he could teach executives how to reduce missed opportunities and increase commitments to action. As a result, he developed the Disciplined Listening Method, transitioned to serving as an executive resource, and founded InQuasive, Inc. Michael created the Disciplined Listening Method by integrating current business communication research and best practices with components of four nonconfrontational interview and interrogation techniques. The resulting educational content represents a new and in-depth approach to applying strategic, ethical observation and persuasion techniques across the spectrum of business conversations. Companies have invited Michael, government agencies, and executive groups to facilitate his programs across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. He has led over one thousand programs and educated over ten thousand participants from over 50 countries. He leads programs and advisory sessions designed to teach participants to activate the truth in the areas of leadership communication, sales, negotiation, conflict resolution, customer service, candidate interviews, family conversations, and public speaking/influential instruction. Michael goes well beyond facilitating and advising. He applies customized content specifically designed to meet the needs of each participant with a humorous and intelligent delivery style. His diligent preparation, attention to each participant's concerns, and added context coalesce to drive home the learning objectives. With Michael, it's never a presentation, seminar, or advisory session; it's always an experience. Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 228, an interview with former Indiana University athletic director, Fred Glass. Get Fred's book here: https://amzn.to/3tCY7hj In this episode, Fred discussed how Indianapolis managed to keep the Colts, its strategy to sustain it, and the impact and advantages that the team provides to the city. This podcast will make you think about the economics of business in sports and understand the deep thinking behind the scenes that makes it all possible. Fred served as a law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge S. Hugh Dillin, also an IU alumnus. From 1989 to 1993, he was chief of staff to former Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh, and, in 2000, helmed the transition team chief for former Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson. Peterson appointed Fred, then a partner in the law firm of Baker & Daniels (now Faegre Baker Daniels), to the city's Capital Improvement Board, which oversees Lucas Oil Stadium, the Indiana Convention Center, Conseco Fieldhouse, and Victory Field. Fred negotiated a number of sports-related wins for the city, including: adding Indianapolis to the permanent hosting rotation for the NCAA Final Four Tournament; laying the groundwork for the city's successful 2012 Super Bowl bid; and putting together the strategy and plans for development of Lucas Oil Stadium. In 2008, President McRobbie appointed Fred as Indiana University's vice president and director of athletics. Since assuming the role, Fred has worked tirelessly to ensure IU returns to its rightful place as one of the premier athletic departments in the country. His tenure has been marked, in part, by a deep commitment to the wellness, development, and achievement of the students under his charge. His 24 Sports, One Team philosophy has brought together student athletes from all IU sports, encouraging them to attend each other's games, support one another, and function as an extended IU family. Get Fred's Book here: Making Your Own Luck: From a Skid Row Bar to Rebuilding Indiana University Athletics by Fred Glass: https://amzn.to/3tCY7hj Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 227, an episode with a well-recognized professor, Ben M. Bensaou. Get Ben's book here: https://amzn.to/3xpI9Zb Many people think that you need a genius leader or need to become a start-up to innovate. But we all have the potential to innovate. In this episode, Ben speaks about everyone's role in innovation and how it can be performed like a habit in our everyday lives. He also discussed the need to develop a deeper understanding of customers and create a culture of collaborating with customers to offer the ideal combination of performance, attributes, price, and other characteristics that customers need and want, or produce a product and service with a powerful market appeal. Ben M. Bensaou is a Professor of Technology Management and Professor of Asian Business and Comparative Management at INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France. He served as Dean of Executive Education in 2018–2020. He was a Visiting Associate Professor at Harvard Business School in 1998-1999, a Senior Fellow at the Wharton School of Management in 2007-2008, and a Visiting Scholar at the Haas School of Business at the University of California Berkeley in 2013-2015. He received his PhD in Management from MIT Sloan School of Management, Cambridge, US, and his MA in Management Science from Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, Japan; his Diplôme d'Ingénieur (MSc) in Civil Engineering and DEA in Mechanical Engineering from respectively the Ecole Nationale des TPE, Lyon and the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble, two Grandes Ecoles in France. His research and teaching activities focus on: (1) how to create innovating capabilities and competencies as a way to build an innovating organization and culture; (2) Blue Ocean Strategy and value innovation implementation, and roll out processes across the whole organization; (3) how to build social capital within firms; (4) new forms of organizations, in particular networked corporations, strategic alliances, joint ventures, and value-adding partnerships; and (5) the impact of information technology on innovation. Professor Bensaou addresses these issues from an international comparative perspective, with a special focus on Japanese organizations. Professor Bensaou's research on buyer-supplier relations in the US and Japanese auto industries won him the Best Doctoral Dissertation Award in the field of information systems and a finalist nomination for the Free Press Award for outstanding dissertation research in the field of business policy and strategy. His case studies on innovation won the 2006, 2008 and 2009 ECCH Best Case Awards (with Kim & Mauborgne). His publications include papers in Academy of Management Journal, Management Science, Information Systems Research, Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of International Business Studies, Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, book chapters and conference proceedings. He has been a member of the Editorial Board of Information Systems Research, MIS Quarterly and MISQ Executive. He has been listed in the Who's Who in the World since 1998. He has been consulting for Asian, European and US corporations since 1993. At INSEAD, Professor Bensaou developed two new MBA courses: 'Managing Networked Organisations' and 'Understanding Japanese Business.' He also teaches courses on Competitive Strategy, Innovation, Blue Ocean Strategy and Value Innovation, Information Technology and Comparative Management (in English and French). He was a Visiting Professor at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, where he taught his 'Information Technology and Corporate Transformation' course. He has also been teaching (in Japanese) in Executive Education programs at Keio Business School, Tokyo, Japan. Get Ben's book here: Built to Innovate: Essential Practices to Wire Innovation into Your Company's DNA. Ben M. Bensaou: https://amzn.to/3xpI9Zb Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 226, an episode with the CEO of Tournesol, Alicia Hare. In this episode, Alicia spoke about a new and unique approach of leadership calledthe lead brighter approach, which focuses on improving the quality of people's lives through things that really matter and make a difference. A brighter future is about shared prosperity, quality, connection, discovery, and joy. Alicia is the founder and CEO of Tournesol, a leadership consulting firm that partners with CEOs, senior leaders, and their teams in times of significant change. Tournesol's unique lead brighter approach helps leaders harness the full power of their platform to elevate performance and improve the quality of people's lives. Alicia's clients include CEOs and senior leaders at Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies. Among others, she's worked with: the CEO of a multibillion-dollar healthcare company to use his platform to transform health and healthcare in America, improving the health of millions; the CEO of one of the world's largest global hospitality companies to address social isolation, bettering the lives of millions of customers while driving business performance; and the President and COO of a global entertainment company to reset the company's strategy for worldwide growth and impact. Her efforts have resulted in large-scale organizational transformation, sustainable business results, and meaningful social change. Before founding Tournesol, Alicia was a president at SYPartners; strategy executive at Target; head of business transformation for Sensis, an Australian media company; and principal at Destra Consulting Group, an organizational effectiveness consulting firm. She earned her B.A. from Rice, M.Ed. from Harvard, MBA from The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Alicia is the author of The Unfolding Path: A Way to Live and Lead in Our Times, which inspires and guides leaders to do the deep inner work required to step up and lead others to a brighter future. Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 225, an interview with expert M&A advisor and best-selling author, Mark Sirower. Get Mark's book here: https://amzn.to/39nd0O8 In this episode, Mark elaborated on the meaning of synergy and how it impacts businesses. He also spoke about strategies to maximize the chances of success in M&A and how to deal with its common challenges. Mark Sirower is an internationally recognized expert on M&A and the author of the best-selling book, The Synergy Trap: How Companies Lose the Acquisition Game (Simon & Schuster, 1997) and co-author of The Synergy Solution: How Companies Win the Mergers & Acquisitions Game (Harvard Business Review Press, February 2022). He is a U.S. leader in Deloitte's M&A and Restructuring practice, where he joined in 2008 to launch the M&A Strategy practice. Mark has advised senior executive teams on hundreds of transactions over the past 25 years from strategy and diligence through post-merger integration. Previously, he built the Deals Strategy Group at PwC and was the global leader of the M&A practice at the Boston Consulting Group, where he developed innovative approaches to crafting M&A strategies, planning integrations, delivering synergies, and creating shareholder value. Mark has taught M&A at the Wharton School, and has taught at the NYU Stern School Executive MBA program for 30 years. Get Mark's book here: The Synergy Solution: How Companies Win the Mergers & Acquisitions Game. Mark Sirower: https://amzn.to/39nd0O8 Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 224, an episode with sought-after keynote speaker and coach, Patricia Stark. Get Patricia's book here: https://amzn.to/3MQIzNR In this episode, Patricia spoke about the importance of building a genuine connection with other people, and thoughts about self-belief. She also discussed the factors that restrict us from communicating effectively and how we can deal with them. Patricia Stark is a Certified Personal and Executive Coach (CPEC of the CaPP Institute - Coaching and Positive Psychology) and a Certified Body Language Trainer (Body Language Institute, Washington DC) and holds certificates in Eclectic Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Visualization/Guided Imagery (LIU). She heads Patricia Stark Communications and specializes in helping clients build their Calmfidence® in interviews, on-camera, and in daily life with tangible strategies for powerful communication skills, mastering self-talk, and stress and anxiety relievers used by the pros. Patricia has extensive experience as a health and medical news anchor, radio interview host, and appears regularly as a TV guest expert on the topics of communication and confidence. Her new book, Calmfidence: How to Trust Yourself, Tame Your Inner Critic, and Shine in Any Spotlight, was published in September 2021 by Sounds True/Macmillan Publishers. With over 20 years of first-hand experience in front of the camera and on stage, Patricia is one of the few trainers in the country who has worked extensively in front of the camera in both broadcast and corporate media. Patricia has appeared in over 2,000 Fortune 500 corporate media productions in just about every sector of industry as a moderator, trainer, host, and corporate spokesperson, and has anchored national and international news. She is a member of SAG/AFTRA, has appeared in numerous television commercials and programs, and has held a recurring role on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Get Patricia's book here: Calmfidence: How to Trust Yourself, Tame Your Inner Critic, and Shine in Any Spotlight by Patricia Stark: https://amzn.to/3MQIzNR Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

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. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 222, an episode with bestselling author and award-winning consultant Stan Bernard, MD, M.B.A. Get Stan's book here: https://amzn.to/3MRzd4t In this episode, Stan spoke about the transcender system and how it has changed the game for many companies that are globally known today. He discussed how we can use this approach to communicate, inspire, and influence people. We will learn why top executives consider the transcender system the most powerful winning system for companies and their products. Stan Bernard, MD, M.B.A., is an internationally recognized, award-winning global competition consultant, keynote speaker, and bestselling author. He is the president of Bernard Associates, L.L.C. and the creator of the Transcender System™. Dr. Bernard is a former Senior Fellow at the Wharton School of Business, where he taught marketing to M.B.A. students for 14 years. He has been featured on television and in leading publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Bloomberg Businessweek. For nearly four decades, Dr. Bernard has consulted with over a dozen Fortune 500 firms and 150 other leading companies spanning six continents. He has been involved in more than 300 product launches involving over 60 countries. Over 15,000 professionals have participated in his firm's Competitive Simulations ("business war games"), Transcender System Training Workshops, Transcender System Seminars, and speaking engagements. Dr. Bernard received his M.B.A. from The Wharton School of Business and his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. Brands Don't Win: How Transcenders Change the Game. Stan Bernard, MD, M.B.A.: https://amzn.to/3MRzd4t

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 the incorrect answers in any corporate strategy study. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

For this episode, let's revisit one of Strategy Skills classics, where we discuss when a consultant must dissent and how it should be done. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

For this episode, let's revisit one of Strategy Skills classics where we shared five tips to fight fatigue. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 218, an episode with a sought-after keynote speaker and a National Champion storyteller, Kindra Hall. Get Kindra's book here: https://amzn.to/3sRmOp3 In this episode, Kindra spoke about the importance of understanding the power of stories that an individual tells and believes and how it impacts our daily lives. She discussed how self-stories influence everything you do, everything you say, and everything you are. Kindra Hall is President and Chief Storytelling Officer at Steller Collective, a consulting firm focused on the strategic application of storytelling to today's communication challenges. Kindra is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers trusted by global brands to deliver presentations and training that inspire teams and individuals to better communicate the value of their company, their products and their individuality through strategic storytelling. What began as a chance encounter at age 13 with a storytelling cassette tape grew into a passion for not only telling stories, but a mastery for teaching others the methods and science of storytelling so they can better tell their own. Kindra was a National Champion storyteller, a member of the Board of Directors of the National Storytelling Network and has her master's degree in communications where she conducted original research studying the role of storytelling in defining and revealing organizational culture. She is a former Director of Marketing and VP of Sales. Today, Kindra's work can be seen at Inc.com, Entrepreneur.com and as a contributing editor for SUCCESS Magazine. Kindra's message spans all industries and her clients include Facebook, Hilton Hotels, Tyson Foods, Target, Berkshire Hathaway and the Harvard Medical School. Her much anticipated book will be released by Harper Leadership in the fall of 2019. Regardless of the industry, Kindra has become a conference favorite for her clients. The blend of inspiration and education in her keynotes mean that audiences leave feeling excited and equipped to finally put their stories to work in a tangible way. Choose Your Story, Change Your Life: Silence Your Inner Critic and Rewrite Your Life from the Inside Out. Kindra Hall: https://amzn.to/3sRmOp3 Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

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. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

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. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 215, an episode with an award-winning entrepreneur, business leader, and best-selling business author, Catherine Bell. Get Catherine's book here: https://amzn.to/3Gzdqvf In this episode, Catherine spoke about the importance of humanity and trust in every organization. She highlighted that as a leader, we need to pause and understand where we are as a person, which allows us the discretionary space to make the best decisions. Mindful and self-aware leaders are higher performers compared to those who are not. Catherine Bell focuses on awakening and sustaining the fire within as Founder of The Awakened Company with passion, purpose, and play. Catherine founded BluEra, a Profit 500 executive search firm. She now helps organizations develop healthy culture strategies and hosts webinars on leadership and the Enneagram. She also started The Awakened Project, a jewelry line that helps females get out of poverty by starting their businesses with microloans. Catherine has also been a Board Member of the Distress Centre and Open to Grow. She is currently an Advisor to the Impact Society and Telus Spark. Catherine teaches at the Queen's (Smith) School of Business in their Masters of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program. She has completed the Institute of Corporate Directors Not for Profit Essentials Program, is Certified in the Enneagram and Yoga Teacher Training, and has an MBA from Queen's University. The Awakened Company. Catherine Bell: https://amzn.to/3Gzdqvf Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 214, an episode with CEO and executive coach, Emily Bermes. Get Emily's book here: " data-userid="751940007443001344" data-orgid="751940008097312768">https://amzn.to/3B2vZXD In this episode, Emily spoke about the challenges that new generation executives are facing, particularly during the trying times of the pandemic. She discussed how having no physical role model or person to look up to impacts how an executive behaves and performs, and how executives cope up with that. Emily Bermes is the CEO of a human capital consulting firm. She has devoted her career to helping executives—from Fortune 100 companies to industry-shifting startups—successfully assimilate into new roles, create strong teams, and develop cultures that attract and retain the best talent. Combining more than 20 years of experience as a partner-level management consultant and executive coach with her background as a quantitative researcher, Emily is a master at creating customized, elegant solutions for the toughest organizational and human capital challenges. She has successfully assimilated nearly 100 executives across multiple industries. Bombproof: A Field Proven Guide for the New-to-Role Executive. Emily Bermes: " data-userid="751940007443001344" data-orgid= "751940008097312768">https://amzn.to/3B2vZXD Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

For this episode, let's revisit one of Strategy Skills classics where we discuss why you should avoid the strategy echo chamber. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

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. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

For this episode, let's revisit one of the classics by Strategy Skills where we discuss how to complete logical case studies. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

For this episode, let's revisit one of the classics by Strategy Skills where we discuss the 3 career path options that consultants face once they become partners. We discuss each career path and what it means for a consultant's career. These are differences that are crucial to know and understand because partner career paths that appear to be more attractive often lead to disappointing results. For example, did you know it is a really bad idea to emulate the career path of all the McKinsey and BCG partners who appear in the McKinsey Quarterly, BCG perspectives, and HBR? This counter-intuitive podcast will explain why. Many consultants don't spend enough time analyzing and considering the implications of following each career path. They take a superficial look at who are the partners most known and respected within the firm and try to emulate those partners. Yet, down the road, they often end up at a dead end. We further address which partner career path you should follow if your goal is to become a CEO one day. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

For this episode, let's revisit one of the classics by Strategy Skills where we talk about one of the issues that we deal with at Firmsconsulting and which many ex employees of major consulting firms (e.g. ex McKinsey and ex BCG consultants) encounter as they embark on building their own boutique consulting firms or even when they join other consulting firm as employees. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

How do you become an outstanding management consultant? Should you excel at analysis? Should you master problem-solving? Should you become the world's most gifted communicator? You could master all of the aforementioned items and still be an average management consultant at best. Great management consultants have all these skills but they have one more quality that makes them great, they are not just competent business people but they are also artists. For this episode, let's revisit one of the classics by Strategy Skills where we explain the mindset we encourage teams to use on the study. This is the mindset I used in my career and it is very different from what you would expect. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

For this episode, let's revisit one of the classics by Strategy Skills with Bill Matassoni, where we discussed a topic about Tesla's strategy. Every now and then, someone comes along and makes the subject of management both fun and insightful. That's what Bill Matassoni has done in his memoir—a combination of compelling stories and contrarian substance—that covers his forty-year career selling what he calls "ephemeral things." In addition to the memoir, Bill plays host to a series of videos that are entertaining, irreverent, and filled with his conviction that marketing is the primary driver of progress in both commercial and social markets. We will soon release Bill Matassoni's memoir and documentary series. If you would like to read a bonus chapter, view advance content and receive other exclusive strategy material, please sign up below. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

For this episode, let's revisit one of the classics by Strategy Skills, where we discuss whether a strategy (functional) partner can/should lead the workshop over an energy (sector) partner. There is a difference, and the answer is not obvious. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo