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

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

Marcus Fontoura, Microsoft's CTO for Azure Core, has had a storied career through major tech shifts at IBM, Yahoo, and Google. In this talk, he demystifies AI, countering doomsday narratives by explaining it as a powerful prediction tool rather than a self-aware entity. He warns that while mechanical jobs are at risk, experienced professionals will be amplified, not replaced. Marcus emphasizes the importance of human agency in navigating tech's impact and offers advice for leaders to embrace AI without fear, urging them to influence technology rather than be influenced by it.

In this episode, Dr. Julia Garcia explains why hope is a habit and why it is critical for us to remove what blocks hope. She describes what happens inside teams when leaders lose hope, including "the culture that creates, the burnout that leads to, the discouragement and defeat." Julia shows how unprocessed emotions drain leaders even when they appear high-functioning. "If we emotionally feel disconnected, we're going to start looking elsewhere or we're going to end up in a place of hopelessness where maybe we completely shut down in our career and now we're just a robot." One of the most memorable insights is the use of the word "maybe" to interrupt destructive thought cycles. She explains: "Maybe your next idea is the one that's going to change the game for you." "Maybe that failure wasn't a failure. It was a setup." "Maybe you have everything you need right now." Julia also demonstrates how holding unspoken emotions limits our capacity. "We can function by holding all these things in emotionally… but we actually aren't discovering what we're truly capable of because we're not fully available." Julia shares her own experiences with failure and rebuilding: "None of this was a waste. I can repurpose this." and "Maybe I can learn from this. Maybe I can come back stronger." We also discuss AI. Julia warns: "AI is increasing productivity, but it is decreasing the personal humanity." and "We need people in our problem solving. We need people in our products." She closes with the central message of her book: "Hope is a habit… it is the single greatest predictor of success and health." Get Dr. Julia's book, The 5 Habits of Hope, here: https://shorturl.at/rjpNF 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

In this conversation, Anthony Vinci explains that "AI is going to be able to do more and more of what people do." He describes a future where "AI is going to get better and better at doing what people do," and highlights that leaders must understand "how do you figure out what AI is good at and then implement it to do that" and "how do you manage your workforce so that they are able to partner with that AI." He warns that leaders often "overestimate what AI can do and underestimate it at the same time," and stresses the importance of "getting that balance right." As he shared, "sometimes they can sense that, oh, AI can do anything," while others say "it will never do that," and both assumptions can mislead decision making. He offers direct guidance for staying relevant: "The number one thing I would recommend is literally to just go use AI for thirty minutes a day." He urges leaders to "push the envelope" and "see where the holes are, what it won't do." Vinci describes how workflow—not just technology—defines whether AI succeeds. Implementation requires understanding "the process and the workflow," recognizing that AI adoption "is going to be small parts," and building "those pieces over time." He explains the subtle dangers of influence, noting that AI can "change your mind" without you realizing it. The threat is not dramatic deepfakes but "what if it just changes one word?" or "an adjective and makes something seem slightly different." To stay resilient, he urges people to "think like a spy," recognize that "there might be a bad actor on the other side," and build habits of "triangulating information." He emphasizes cognitive agility: "We still need to learn to do it so that you can think about mathematics and understand mathematics," and he connects this to thinking and writing in an AI-driven world. Even with powerful tools, "you're still going to have to keep yourself sharp." Vinci closes by discussing perspective, explaining how "living abroad" showed him how much people assume about how the world works. He encourages listeners to embrace the belief that "maybe this assumption that you have in life is wrong," because "the difference between being okay or good at something you do and being great is this ability to take a step back and question whatever you see in the world." Get Anthony's book, The Fourth Intelligence Revolution, here: https://shorturl.at/rjpNF 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

Cas Holman, founder of Heroes Will Rise and former designer for LEGO and Disney Imagineering, advocates for the power of play in creativity and resilience. She emphasizes that play is essential for innovation and coping with uncertainty, not a distraction from productivity. Cas discusses how adults often suppress play due to societal norms, yet free play can enhance flexibility and communication. She also warns against fully outsourcing creativity to AI, urging listeners to embrace curiosity and reframe success to unlock deeper connections.