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

Rishi Dave, a Bain partner and former global CMO with deep B2B and digital marketing chops, explains the Day One List and three routes to get onto buyers' shortlists. He breaks down what a sales play is, how to build and scale plays quickly, and how to get sellers to adopt them through measurement, change management, and a focused play factory.

Mitch Warner, Arbinger managing partner and author focused on mindset and culture change. He explores self-deception and self-betrayal and how they warp relationships and leadership. He describes signs of self-deception, collusion in groups, and practices to resist it. He also shares stories and concrete steps for rebuilding trust and staying curious in everyday leadership.

Neri Karra Sillaman, an entrepreneurship advisor at the University of Oxford and author of 'Pioneers,' shares insights on immigrant entrepreneurship. She highlights how clear vision and perseverance drive business longevity, stemming from her own resilience as a former child refugee. The conversation reveals eight principles for success, such as treating rejection as a negotiation starter and valuing community over profit. Sillaman argues that history and heritage can be leveraged as strategic assets, encouraging both immigrant and non-immigrant founders to adopt these powerful principles.

Viva Ona Bartkus, a former McKinsey partner and Professor Emerita at Notre Dame, discusses the complexities of applying business strategies in unstable regions. She shares insights on why traditional methods fail outside developed markets and presents the untapped economic potential of 'frontline environments.' Using examples from Lebanon and Colombia, she highlights the risks of single partnerships and the importance of broad collaborations. Viva emphasizes the need for rigorous strategies to rebuild trust and stability in conflict-affected areas.

In this discussion, Tim Koller, a partner at McKinsey and co-author of 'Valuation', delves into corporate finance challenges. He explains why cash-rich firms often resort to buybacks instead of reinvesting. Koller critiques diversification strategies that lack competitive advantage, highlighting historical failures. He emphasizes the necessity for CEOs to actively engage in resource allocation and warns against broad margin mandates that can undermine growth. His insights illuminate the importance of timing investments and focusing on long-term value.

Elizabeth McBride, a journalist and author focused on finance and women's rights, and Seth Levine, a venture capital partner, discuss their book, Capital Evolution. They explore why young people lean toward socialism, sharing insights from a World Bank event that spotlighted the urgency of entrepreneurship. They argue that capitalism, while flawed, must evolve, and they highlight the importance of job creation amid AI's disruptive potential. The conversation underscores the need for nuanced dialogue around business, community, and the American Dream.

Michael Aaron Flicker, a behavioral science strategist and founder of multiple Inc. 5000 companies, shares fascinating insights on leadership and consumer behavior. He highlights that presenting one major advantage increases credibility, as seen with Five Guys. Pricing is all about relativity; Red Bull disrupted norms with strategic pricing. Michael also discusses how indulgent language boosts selection, while nostalgia can significantly enhance willingness to pay. Lastly, he emphasizes that small flaws can enhance likability and precision in language is key to memorability.

Ben Zweig, an adjunct professor at NYU Stern and CEO of Revelio Labs, explores the transformation of work in the age of AI. He argues that real disruption comes from rethinking job structures rather than fearing automation. By understanding jobs as evolving bundles of tasks, companies can enhance employee fulfillment and adapt to technological changes. Zweig emphasizes the importance of human skills like empathy and coordination as valuable complements to AI, urging managers to enable autonomy and adaptability within their teams.

In this conversation, Mark explains that "we often build our lives on things we are certain about that simply are not true." He describes how "we don't actually see the world… we see screens of how we think the world is." He explains that these screens create "a double paradox" shaping what we think is safe, what we think is risky, and how we choose to act. Mark describes the difference between someone who sees a large employer as stability versus an entrepreneur who sees it as danger, saying "which screen is right? Well, it depends on which screen is going to give you more power in life." He talks about choosing the entrepreneurial screen because "I detested the idea of being a piece of a cog in a major machine." He explains how a "victim type screen" once took over his thinking when he was diagnosed with osteonecrosis: "I was catastrophizing… I went into a very negative spiral." He recalls seeing children receiving chemotherapy and realizing "Mark, you are really self-absorbed… You don't get to live a life without pain and challenge." That shift, "Why me?" to "Why not me?", transformed everything for him. Mark also talks about the mindset required to reinvent yourself: "No matter what I succeeded in in the past entitles me to win in the future." He shares that he must "redo it every three years or reimagine it and transform it," because "if I'm not transforming my business, other people are going to be working to transform my business out of it." He discusses fear and avoidance: "You can be afraid of having the conversation… but what you cannot do is ignore it." He explains how ignoring problems is the beginning of decline. Mark then explores how his business model evolved when he realized that people with millions of dollars were still "miserable, always afraid… always complaining" while others with far less were happy. This led him to see that money alone is not the source of well-being. He dismantles the three ideas he was taught early in his career: "stock picking," "market timing," and "track record investing", calling them "completely bankrupt." He explains that "the market is very efficient, very random," and that "stock picking, market timing and track record investing didn't work." Mark describes how identity and mission changed for him over time, how screens shape action, and how transformation requires confronting fear, discarding false certainty, and letting go of entitlement. He closes by saying he hopes never to retire because "stopping is one of the worst things you can do for your future." He explains that purpose, planning, and creating are what allow people to thrive. Get Mark's book here: https://rb.gy/h4brr0 Experiencing The American Dream: How to Invest Your Time, Energy, and Money to Create an Extraordinary Life Claim your free gift: Free gift #1 McKinsey & BCG winning resume www.FIRMSconsulting.com/resumePDF Free gift #2 Breakthrough Decisions Guide with 25 AI Prompts www.FIRMSconsulting.com/decisions Free gift #3 Five Reasons Why People Ignore Somebody www.FIRMSconsulting.com/owntheroom Free gift #4 Access episode 1 from Build a Consulting Firm, Level 1 www.FIRMSconsulting.com/build Free gift #5 The Overall Approach used in well-managed strategy studies www.FIRMSconsulting.com/OverallApproach Free gift #6 Get a copy of Nine Leaders in Action, a book we co-authored with some of our clients: www.FIRMSconsulting.com/gift

Adam McGraw is a Fortune 100 VP turned entrepreneur and co-founder of CREW, a leadership community. "We try and really curate it for folks that are in the VP and above through CEOs as well, founders, etc., so that they have this kind of safe white space atmosphere to really consistently plug in and build community." "Not just transact network-wise in things that are typically narrow and niche… we really love the idea of a melting pot for leaders." "This is kind of the new normal: constant change, constant uncertainty, constant transition." "Being in crew keeps me grounded and conscious and aware." "I want folks by the end of the day to feel like even though I dedicated and carved out time in my busy life and work week, I came out of here actually feeling juiced up and energized because I had some fun and obviously I learned some stuff and I got to be myself." Claim your free gift: Free gift #1 McKinsey & BCG winning resume www.FIRMSconsulting.com/resumePDF Free gift #2 Breakthrough Decisions Guide with 25 AI Prompts www.FIRMSconsulting.com/decisions Free gift #3 Five Reasons Why People Ignore Somebody www.FIRMSconsulting.com/owntheroom Free gift #4 Access episode 1 from Build a Consulting Firm, Level 1 www.FIRMSconsulting.com/build Free gift #5 The Overall Approach used in well-managed strategy studies www.FIRMSconsulting.com/OverallApproach Free gift #6 Get a copy of Nine Leaders in Action, a book we co-authored with some of our clients: www.FIRMSconsulting.com/gift