The Strategy Skills Podcast: Management Consulting | Strategy, Operations & Implementation | Critical Thinking

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 404, an interview with Rana Salman, M.B.A, PhD, a renowned expert in the sales industry who is transforming the performance of sales teams worldwide. With a background in marketing and years of experience in enterprise-level B2B sales, she has established herself as a trusted partner for global organizations seeking to elevate their sales strategies and execution. As the founder of Salman Consulting, LLC, Salman collaborates with midsize and Fortune 500 IT companies to create tailored sales strategies, develop compelling sales content, and deliver impactful training sessions. Whether it's in-person, through webinars, or on-demand, her expertise in sales and sales enablement ensures an optimized end-to-end customer experience that fosters loyalty and drives revenue growth. Beyond her consulting work, Salman is a cofounder of WiSE (Women in Sales Enablement), a thriving networking group connecting female sales enablement professionals from around the world. Through WiSE, she f

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

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

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

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

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

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 398, an interview with a Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications, at Northwestern University, Lan Nguyen Chaplin. In this episode, we focused on how to disrupt a system that was built to hold you back. We also touched on to move past an embarrassing moment at work. Lan Nguyen Chaplin, Ph.D. is Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications, at Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. She is also a member of the Core Faculty, Golub Capital Social Impact Lab at Kellogg School of Management. She received her Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Minnesota (Carlson School of Management), and her B.A. in neuroscience with a concentration in behavioral medicine from the University of Pennsylvania. She was named one of the Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professors in the world by Poets & Quants (November 2018) and set a new record for top undergraduate professor nominations in the process. She has taught at

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 398, an interview with the author of Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest, William Vanderbloemen. In his book, William reveals how job seekers, employees, hiring managers and company leaders everywhere can stand out from their peers and become irreplaceable, building the careers they've always wanted. William Vanderbloemen has been leading the Vanderbloemen Search Group for 15 years, where they are regularly retained to identify the best talent for teams, manage succession planning, and consult on all issues regarding teams. This year, Vanderbloemen will complete their 3,000th executive search. Prior to founding Vanderbloemen Search Group, William studied executive search under a mentor with 25+ years of executive search at the highest level. His learning taught him the very best corporate practices, including the search strategies used by the internationally known firm Russell Reynolds. Prior to that, William served as a Senior

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

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 396, an interview with the author of The Power of Conscious Connection: 4 Habits to Transform How You Live and Lead. In this book, Talia shares her methodology for transforming how we live and lead by first tapping into our own power so that we can make choices that align best with what really matters to us as individuals. The Power of Conscious Connection is a blueprint for a more conscious, compassionate, and connected world. Each page of this book will stir you to the core, awaken your senses, and challenge you to commit to a new way of living and leading. In a time where division seems to prevail, Talia Fox reminds us of our potential for coming together. Talia Fox is the CEO of KUSI Global, Inc. She holds an M.Ed. in counseling psychology from Howard University and she is a Harvard University Fellow. An inspirational leader in every sense of the word, Talia is often referred to as the Jedi of Inspiration by her clients. With over two decades of experience in transformin

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

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

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

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 392, an interview with the author of The Bad Bitch Business Bible, Lisa Carmen Wang. The Bad Bitch Business Bible is Lisa’s no-holds-barred guide for women who want to break free of Good Girl Brainwashing and take charge of their bodies, boundaries, and bank accounts. Interweaving intimate personal stories with large life lessons, Lisa shows you how to transform from insecure good girl to unapologetic Bad Bitch so you can start earning the money, power, and respect you deserve. Lisa Carmen Wang is the Founder & CEO of BAD BITCH EMPIRE, a community investment platform building unapologetic worth and wealth for women. She is a former 4-Time USA National Champion & Hall of Fame Gymnast turned serial entrepreneur, angel investor, venture capitalist, certified executive coach, and global speaker. She has been named Forbes 30 under 30 in Venture Capital, Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women, Fast Company Executive Board, and Red Bull Hero of The Year. Featured o

For this episode, let's revisit one of the classics by Strategy Skills where we discuss how to complete logical case studies. 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

In today’s Strategy Skills podcast episode, Kris and Michael will share with you some key lessons you need to know related to the upcoming Mega Program called Innovating An Industrial Giant. This particular program is phase two as part of a larger series, phase one is called How to Sell Over $10 Million Consulting Studies, which we also called the Andrew program where all 214 episodes were already published on strategytraining.com. We decided to separate this discussion into three parts: person, assets, and problem. So, in this second episode of this three-part series, our focus will be on problem. 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

In today’s Strategy Skills podcast episode, Kris and Michael will share with you some key lessons you need to know related to the upcoming Mega Program called Innovating An Industrial Giant. This particular program is phase two as part of a larger series, phase one is called How to Sell Over $10 Million Consulting Studies, which we also called the Andrew program where all 214 episodes were already published on strategytraining.com. We decided to separate this discussion into three parts: person, assets, and problem. So, in this second episode of this three-part series, our focus will be on assets. 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

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 388, an interview with the author of The Sound of the Future: The Coming Age of Voice Technology, Tobias Dengel. In his new book, Tobias answers why voice technology is the next big thing in technology, as big as mobile a decade ago and the internet in the late 90s, fundamentally altering the way companies do business. Tobias connects the dots about this emerging paradigm to vividly illustrate how business leaders can stay ahead of the game, rather than scrambling to catch up, as voice technology gradually reveals its power, creating a host of new winners and losers.  Tobias Dengel is president of WillowTree, a TELUS International Company, a global leader in digital product design and development, with 13 offices in North America, South America, and Europe, headquartered in Charlottesville VA. The company has been named by Inc. magazine to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies for 11 straight years. WillowTree, a TELUS International Company’s clients incl

In today’s Strategy Skills podcast episode, Kris and Michael will share with you some key lessons you need to know related to the upcoming Mega Program called Innovating An Industrial Giant. This particular program is phase two as part of a larger series, phase one is called How to Sell Over $10 Million Consulting Studies, which we also called the Andrew program where all 214 episodes were already published on strategytraining.com. In today's session, we will get you up to speed on phase one. We also decided to separate this discussion into three parts: person, assets, and problem. So, in this first episode of this three-part series, our focus will be on the person—Andrew. 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

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 da