Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 533, an interview with the author of Cultivating Audacity: Dismantle Doubt and Let Yourself Win, Anne Marie Anderson. In this episode, Anne Marie Anderson shared her journey from being rejected by ESPN at 21 to working there for 35 years and becoming one of the most experienced female play-by-play announcers in the country. She discussed the importance of audacity, combining confidence with bold risks, and learning from rejection. In Cultivating Audacity, Anne ...
Mar 12, 2025•50 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 532, an interview with the author of Big Goals: The Science of Setting Them, Achieving Them, and Creating Your Best Life, Caroline Adams Miller. In this episode, Caroline takes us through her journey of overcoming personal challenges to becoming an expert in positive psychology and goal setting. She breaks down why setting clear, challenging goals is so important and explains the difference between learning goals (developing new skills) and performance goals (i...
Mar 10, 2025•49 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 531, an interview with the author of Conflict Resilience: Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up or Giving In, Bob Bordone. Most of us instinctively avoid conflict, seeing it as a threat rather than an opportunity for growth. What if the conversations you dread most could actually strengthen your relationships and lead to better outcomes? In this episode, Harvard Law's Bob Bordone talks about negotiation and conflict resolution. He discusses seeing conflict...
Mar 05, 2025•53 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 530, an interview with a seasoned executive coach and the author of You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need), Sabina Nawaz. In this episode, Sabina shares her journey from software development at Microsoft to advising C-level executives. She explains the dangers of pressure overpowering leaders and advocates for self-care and emotional intelligence. Throughout her journey as a leader, she realized the need for effective communication...
Mar 03, 2025•46 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 529, an interview with the author of Who Needs College Anymore? , Kathleen deLaski. In this episode, Kathleen shares her journey from journalism to education reform. She talks about her time as a TV and digital journalist, White House correspondent, and Pentagon spokesperson, as well as her transition to education reform, founding the Education Design Lab in 2013, and her work on higher education innovation. Kathleen discusses the changing role of college and t...
Feb 26, 2025•50 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 528, an interview with the author of Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing your Best When it Matters Most , JP Pawliw-Fry. In this episode, JP walks us through the concept of pressure management—how to reduce pressure in our personal and professional lives to better excel in whatever we do. He also discusses the importance of self-awareness, especially under pressure, and the concept of 'aggressive learning,' where high performers extract more informa...
Feb 24, 2025•44 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 527, an interview with the coauthor of Make Work Fair: Data-Driven Design for Real Results, Siri Chilazi. In this episode, Siri shares her path from studying chemistry to researching workplace gender equality. Based on her experience and academic work, she explains how workplace systems shape behavior more than individual choices. Siri advocates for practical changes like redesigning resumes and conducting regular pay audits rather than focusing on diversity tr...
Feb 19, 2025•47 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 526, an interview with the author of Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication , Andrew Brodsky. In this episode, Andrew shares the nuances of effective virtual communication in the workplace. He introduces the PING framework (Perspective Taking, Initiative, Nonverbal Behavior, and Goals) and discusses how different communication modes suit various objectives. Andrew also touched on strategies for maintaining creativity in virtual settings, building...
Feb 17, 2025•57 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 525, an interview with the authors of The ROI of Thought Leadership: Calculating the Value that Sets Organizations Apart , Cindy Anderson and Anthony Marshall. In this episode, Cindy and Anthony discuss how their work at IBM shaped their understanding of thought leadership's value in building client relationships and explain the quantifiable benefits of thought leadership. They also address how AI is impacting thought leadership creation and consumption, and th...
Feb 12, 2025•53 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 524, an interview with the author of Meet Every Learner's Needs: Redesigning Instruction So All Students Can Succeed , Robert Barnett. In this episode, Robert discussed his approach to educational fairness and equity and the importance of personalized learning experiences. He explained the need for engaging and challenging learning environments rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, highlighting the importance of tailoring learning to individual needs. Rober...
Feb 10, 2025•47 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 345, an interview with the Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, BCG’s think tank for new ideas in management and strategy. Martin has authored numerous books, including Your Strategy Needs a Strategy and The Imagination Machine , a handbook about how to systematically harness imagination to generate new ideas and transform businesses. Get Martin's book here: https://rb.gy/qmifgx The Imagination Machine: How to Spark New Ideas and Create Your Company's Futur...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 522, an interview with the author of Gambling Man: The Secret Story of the World's Greatest Disruptor, Masayoshi Son , Lionel Barber. In this episode, Lionel discusses his career and insights on leadership, journalism, and business transformation. He talks about his tenure at the Financial Times and offers advice to young professionals on how to succeed in today’s ever-changing and challenging world. In this interview, Lionel also shares key lessons from his ne...
Feb 03, 2025•46 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 521, an interview with the author of Essential: How Distributed Teams, Generative AI, and Global Shifts are Creating a New Human Powered Leadership, Dr. Christie Smith. In this episode, Christie shares her career journey through boutique firms, Deloitte, Apple, and Accenture. She shares key lessons about building client relationships, emphasizing that consultants should focus on understanding client needs rather than pushing their own agenda. Christie explains ...
Jan 27, 2025•53 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 520, an interview with the author of TALK: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves, Alison Wood Brooks. In this episode, Alison shares how her experiences at Harvard shaped her understanding of one of the most critical skills for anyone in any industry: conversation. She introduces the concept of the “topic pyramid”, which includes small talk, tailored talk, and deep talk, and shares strategies for handling difficult conversations, such as us...
Jan 22, 2025•51 min
In this episode with Rob Markey, we will discuss valuing and measuring customer loyalty. Rob highlights the gap between executives' intentions to prioritize customers and their actual practices, noting that only 8% of customers believe they receive exceptional experiences, despite 80% of executives thinking so. Rob discusses the need for companies to measure and manage customer lifetime value, using tools like Net Promoter Scores and customer segmentation. He also discusses the challenges of imp...
Jan 20, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 518, an interview with the author of Change: Six science-backed strategies to transform your brain, body, and behavior , Michael J. Lopez. In this episode, Michael shares his consulting journey and leadership challenges that shaped his leadership style and led him to start his own firm. He shares his advice for consultants aiming to become partners in today's hybrid work environment. Michael also discussed change and how deeply personal it is that it can't be a...
Jan 15, 2025•47 min
In this episode, we dive into digital transformation consulting, exploring the top digital transformation challenges faced by today’s technology leader from a large consulting firm working with C-suite executives on large-scale transformation projects. We’ll discuss how emerging tech consulting is shaping the future and how to balance vision and practicality while staying up to date on technology trends, especially the rapid move from AI to generative AI. We cover the challenges of business case...
Jan 13, 2025•9 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 516, an interview with the author of Change the Wallpaper: Transforming Cultural Patterns to Build More Just Communities, Nilanjana Dasgupta. In this episode, Nilanjana discusses her career journey and research on implicit bias and diversity science. She highlights her groundbreaking 2001 study showing that implicit attitudes can be changed through exposure to counter-stereotypical media images. Nilanjana also discusses the importance of understanding and addre...
Jan 08, 2025•59 min
Today, we will answer a common question about how to determine office location preference to include on the consulting job application with firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain and when applying to firms like Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, et al. The thinking process will also be applicable when considering taking a leadership role in various parts of the world versus selecting a role in your hometown or closer to home. Question we received from one of our subscribers: “I’ve been told that the office locati...
Jan 06, 2025•16 min
Students and consultants usually ask us for help with consulting specialization. This is a crucial question that consultants have to consider when mapping out their management consulting career path. Today’s video will provide our perspective on this topic. Many consultants do not understand consulting specialization. Sector and type of work are not mutually exclusive. What does that mean? To specialize, you need to define your area of specialization around three areas. After watching this video...
Jan 01, 2025•10 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 513, an interview with the author of Leading Giants: A Leader's Guide to Maximum Influence , Dave Durand. In this episode, Dave explains his decision to approach life as an adventure, without fearing mistakes and prioritizing the best ideas over being right. He talks about building successful organizations by creating the right culture, hiring for values and cultural fit, and adapting to technological changes. He shares how he balances personal and professional...
Dec 30, 2024•56 min
In this episode, we dive into the art and science of creating consulting storyboards early in a strategy study. We'll address a thoughtful question from Henry, a subscriber, about how consultants at firms like McKinsey, etc. can prepare storyboards so quickly without pre-determined answers. You'll learn: - Why starting with the objective function is key. - How decision trees, hypotheses, and targeted analyses guide our approach. - Common mistakes in communication and how to avoid them. If you're...
Dec 25, 2024•12 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 511, an interview with the author of The Imagination Emporium: Creative Recipes for Innovation , Duncan Wardle. In this episode, Duncan discusses how to promote creativity in business and explains how the subconscious mind generates better ideas when we’re not at work. He introduces tools like "What If," "Where Else," and "How Else" to help teams think differently. The discussion also covers how businesses can adapt to AI advancements while maintaining human to...
Dec 23, 2024•38 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 510, an interview with the author of Collaborative Disruption, Tom Muccio. In this episode, Tom Muccio shares his experience leading Procter & Gamble's collaboration with Walmart. By breaking down corporate barriers and focusing on mutual understanding, Tom helped both companies grow dramatically and expand their business from $350 million to $8 billion. His approach focuses on respect, testing new ideas, and challenging traditional business norms through t...
Dec 18, 2024•59 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 509, an interview with a renowned innovation cultivator, speaker, and founder of Creativity Partners, Jamie Woolf. In this episode, Jamie shared her remarkable experience working at Pixar under Ed Catmull's leadership and explained its unique culture that combines art and technology to drive innovation. She explained the concept of “constructive disruption” at work and how leaders can build healthy, innovative, and creative workplaces where everyone feels free ...
Dec 16, 2024•48 min
McKinsey's Marvin Bower: Father of Management Consulting | 19 Rules That Shaped McKinsey In this video, we dive deep into the legacy of Marvin Bower, the man who turned McKinsey & Company into the gold standard of management consulting. Known as the "father of management consulting," Marvin Bower’s vision, integrity, and groundbreaking leadership set McKinsey apart and established consulting as a respected profession. Discover the 19 rules that Marvin Bower enforced at McKinsey to ensure con...
Dec 11, 2024•17 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 507, an interview with the authors of The M&A Failure Trap: Why Most Mergers and Acquisitions Fail and How the Few Succeed, Baruch Lev and Feng Gu. In this episode, Baruch Lev and Feng Gu discuss the pitfalls of corporate acquisitions and the reasons why CEOs repeatedly make strategic errors that lead to costly mistakes. They argue that many acquisitions are driven by investor pressure and unrealistic expectations, with large deals often failing due to many...
Dec 09, 2024•58 min
One of the most powerful tools management consultants from firms like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, et al. use to solve problems and communicate solutions to clients is the consulting storyboard. Whether you’re new to consulting or just want to sharpen your storyboarding for consulting skills, this video is for you. Here are some of the topics we covered: - Why you should use consulting storyboard - Where storyboard fit in a consulting strategy study - How corporate strategy studies ...
Dec 04, 2024•9 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 505, an interview with the author of The Resilience Plan , Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier. Resilience is a skill that can be developed, not a fixed personality trait. In this episode, Dr. Pelletier shares practical strategies for building resilience, including regular exercise, balanced nutrition, quality sleep, and creating a personal plan to manage stress and prevent burnout. She advises on how professionals can navigate challenges and maintain high performance w...
Dec 02, 2024•52 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 504, where we interview Ex Harvard Kennedy School researcher Matt Kohut, the author of Speaking Out: The New Rules of Business Leadership Communication. In this episode, Matt discusses the role leaders play in public communication. Drawing from his book " Speaking Out ," he explores how CEOs can engage with political and social issues while balancing stakeholder perspectives, organizational values, and potential risks. Matt also shares practical advice on effec...
Nov 27, 2024•43 min
