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PODCAST

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

FirmsConsulting.com & StrategyTraining.com

CEOs and business leaders, management consulting senior partners, ground-breaking professors, thought-provoking writers and journalists, record-setting athletes and coaches, and award-winning actors and celebrities discuss the key issues facing the business world and broader society. Get free access to our newsletter, Monday Morning at 8 am, along with sample episodes from our training programs on www.strategytraining.com. Go to https://www.firmsconsulting.com/promo.

business careers

All Episodes

52:08

590: Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author on What...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/10/01

Mita Mallick, Wall Street Journal–bestselling author and workplace strategist, examines how everyday managerial choices determine whether organizations are resilient, humane, and productive. Drawing on her leadership roles in marketing and human resources, as well as her lived experience as a woman of color in corporate America, she reframes common leadership breakdowns as design failures that can be prevented with the right structures. As she emphasizes, “There is power in being quiet.” Used

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50:55

CEO of FCLT Global and Former Senior Engagement...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/09/24

Sarah Keohane Williamson, CEO of FCLT Global and coauthor of The CEO’s Guide to the Investment Galaxy, offers a disciplined primer for executives operating at the intersection of corporate strategy and capital markets. Drawing from her background in investment banking, government, consulting, and asset management, she explains why “investors are not a single audience,” how their incentives shape corporate outcomes, and what leaders must do differently to secure durable capital and strategic

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42:57

588: Former CEO of Jamba Juice on Leading with Culture

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/09/22

James D. White, former CEO of Jamba Juice, current board chair, and coauthor of Culture Design, shares how culture becomes a management discipline rather than a slogan. Drawing on his eight-year turnaround of Jamba, service on more than 15 boards, and leadership toolkit, he explains how listening, rituals, and disciplined systems embed values into sustained performance. Key takeaways: Start with stakeholder listening. White began his turnaround with nearly 200 “start, stop, continue” inputs

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45:32

587: Globally Recognized Marketing Strategist on How...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/09/17

Laura Ries, globally recognized marketing strategist and author of The Strategic Enemy, outlines a category-first approach to brand building. As she explains, “while people talk in brands, they really think in categories. The category is king.” Her core message: focus, contrast, and clarity determine whether a brand leads or disappears. The conversation emphasizes why narrowing focus creates strength, when to launch a new brand name rather than extend an old one, and how visible, repeatable

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55:55

586: Father of the Cable Modem Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/09/15

Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard, founder of LANcity, author of The Accidental Network, and widely known as the “father of the cable modem”, shares the story of how broadband was built and the lessons it offers for today’s leaders navigating AI and emerging technologies. Arriving in the U.S. with $750 in savings, Yassini-Fard envisioned carrying “voice, data and video… over one cable instead of two” at a time when few believed homes would ever need to be connected. Over nine years, with just 13 employees and

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53:43

585: Former Goldman Sachs Executive, Erin Coupe, on...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/09/10

Former Goldman Sachs executive Erin Coupe shares how she transformed her life and career by replacing routines with rituals, practicing meditation, and stepping into self-leadership. In this episode of the Strategy Skills Podcast, Kris Safarova and Erin dive deep into practical lessons for entrepreneurs, consultants, and online business owners who want more clarity, energy, and independence. Based on her book, I Can Fit That In: How Rituals Transform Your Life, Erin explains how to: Build

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46:01

584: ESSEC Business School Professor on How...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/09/08

Srividya Jandhyala, professor of management at ESSEC Business School and author of The Great Disruption, offers a clear framework for how geopolitics is reshaping corporate strategy. Her central thesis is direct: “The fundamental idea, ‘Where are you from?’—the nationality of the company—is the defining feature of the type of reactions you face from all stakeholders, not just governments, but also customers, suppliers, and clients”. She explains why geopolitics now sits inside business decisions

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57:31

583: The Four Pillars of Elite Teams (with Colin M....

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/09/03

In this rigorous and insight-rich episode, Dr. Colin Fisher, author of The Collective Edge, deconstructs high-performing teams using decades of organizational research and field-tested frameworks. If you lead, manage, or influence teams, the insights here can recalibrate how you build and guide collaboration. We explore four foundational elements (Composition, Goals, Tasks, and Norms) and dismantle prevalent myths that often derail even experienced leaders. Key insights include: Composition: A

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58:18

582: McKinsey's Venkat Atluri, How to thrive in the...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/09/01

Venkat Atluri, McKinsey senior partner and coauthor of The Ecosystem Economy: How to Lead in the New Age of Sectors Without Borders, explains how value creation is shifting from stand-alone enterprises to coordinated networks of collaborators. Drawing on two decades advising leaders in technology, media, and telecom, he outlines what makes ecosystem businesses distinct from traditional conglomerates—and the governance required to make them work at scale. Atluri emphasizes that ecosystems aren’t

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55:39

581: President of the Sy Syms Foundation on Legacy,...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/08/27

Marcy Syms, former CEO of Syms Corporation and president of the Sy Syms Foundation, reflects on leadership, governance, and the responsibilities of stewarding a family-founded, publicly traded business. Her perspective blends the operational discipline of retail with long-term thinking shaped by philanthropy and board service. Syms underscores that organizational resilience rests on clear governance, candid communication, and leaders willing to face hard choices directly. As she puts it, “Leaders

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54:56

580: The Hidden Belief Blocking High Performers: “I’m...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/08/25

Why do even the most successful executives and management consultants secretly struggle with the belief that they’re not good enough? In this conversation with Josh Davis, PhD (psychology & neuroscience, Columbia University, NLP trainer) and Greg Prosmushkin (trial lawyer turned entrepreneur), we unpack: Why top leaders and consultants battle with imposter syndrome How invisible mental models shape every decision and client interaction Why strategy, frameworks, and technical skill aren’t

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52:24

579: Former Accenture Partner Brad Englert on Career...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/08/20

Brad Englert, former Accenture partner, IT strategist, CIO, and author, shares how building genuine relationships has been the cornerstone of his career success. From his early days in technology consulting to leading large-scale initiatives, Brad reveals the mindset and habits that helped him grow, earn trust, and thrive in a competitive corporate environment. In this episode, we discuss why relationships are the ultimate career multiplier, opening doors to opportunities, mentorships, and

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51:29

578: Stanford’s Robert E. Siegel on Navigating the...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/08/18

Robert E. Siegel, Stanford Graduate School of Business professor, venture capitalist, and former executive, shares the leadership lessons he learned working with Intel’s legendary CEO, Andy Grove, and other amazing leaders, and how to thrive in today’s era of conflicting pressures. In this in-depth conversation, we explore the concept of the systems leader, someone who can innovate while delivering results, balance global and local priorities, and combine decisiveness with humility. Drawing from

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55:31

577: Former Submarine Commander L. David Marquet on...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/08/13

L. David Marquet, former nuclear submarine commander and author of Leadership Is Language, shares a precise, operational approach to leadership, one that replaces command-and-control with a language designed for clarity, ownership, and adaptability. Drawing on his experience turning the USS Santa Fe from one of the worst-performing submarines in the fleet to one of the best, David shows how seemingly small shifts in language can radically improve decision-making, learning speed, and execution.

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01:01:38

576: Bain Senior Partner Sarah Elk on Doing Agile...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/08/11

Sarah Elk, Senior Partner at Bain & Company and global leader of its operating model work, brings a clear, pragmatic lens to why so many large-scale change efforts fail to stick. Drawing on decades of advising multinational organizations, she diagnoses the structural and behavioral traps that cause transformations to stall, and shares the disciplines that make change durable. Elk emphasizes that transformation is not a one-off program but an enduring capability that must be “led from the top and

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01:00:42

575: Ex McKinsey Expert on War Games, John Horn: How...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/08/06

John Horn, professor of economics at Washington University's Olin Business School and former McKinsey strategist, shares a disciplined framework for understanding competitive behavior by applying game theory and structured simulations. In this episode, he explains how companies can elevate competitor analysis from basic intelligence gathering to actionable strategic insight. Horn begins by debunking the common misconception that many competitors behave irrationally. As he puts it: “Every single

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48:06

574: McKinsey Senior Partner, Kate Smaje: Winning in...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/08/04

For this episode, let's revisit one of Strategy Skills classics, where we interviewed Kate Smaje, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and Global Leader of McKinsey Digital. In this episode, Kate offers a clear-eyed and disciplined perspective on what it takes for organizations to succeed in digital transformation. Drawing from deep client work across industries, she outlines a practical, results-focused view of how digital can be embedded into the operating core, not treated as a parallel

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14:05

573: How and when a consultant must disagree...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/07/30

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. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

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54:53

572: Improve Your Cognitive Performance with Herbs

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/07/28

Rachelle Robinett, founder of Pharmakon Supernatural and educator in holistic health, offers a clear, science-aware framework for supporting energy, focus, and stress regulation, without defaulting to pharmaceuticals or overstimulation. In this episode, she explores how plant-based medicine, nutrition, and daily practices can be woven into practical, long-term routines that support resilience and cognitive clarity. Robinett challenges the assumption that performance must rely on synthetic energy

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53:00

570: Multi-Award-Winning Researcher Vanessa Druskat...

The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership |... ·

2025/07/23

Vanessa Druskat, organizational psychologist and professor at the University of New Hampshire, discusses team emotional intelligence (EI) as a predictor of sustained performance. Building on her foundational work with Daniel Goleman, Druskat focuses not on individual EQ, but on the group-level norms and practices that distinguish effective teams, particularly in complex, high-stakes environments. Druskat identifies three core team norms essential to cultivating group EI: mutual trust, constructive

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163 results

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