573: How and when a consultant must disagree (Strategy Skills classics)

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 534, an interview with the author of The Science of Personal Power: How to Build Confidence, Create Success, and Obtain Freedom, Chris Lipp.   Powerful people operate with a fundamentally different mindset. While others seek approval and dodge accountability, influential individuals take ownership and remain anchored to their goals and values.   In this episode, Chris Lipp discusses the importance of personal power and the characteristics that differentiate powerful people from those who are not. He shares the habits and practices that help individuals attain and maintain power. Chris also provides strategies for regaining power in high-stress situations and emphasizes the significance of personal accountability and effective communication in both professional and personal contexts.   Chris Lipp is a social psychologist and author of The Science of Personal Power. He currently teaches at Tulane's Freeman School of Business.   Get Chris’ book here: https://rb.gy/90n2z0 The Science of Personal Power: How to Build Confidence, Create Success, and Obtain Freedom   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

17 Maalis 50min

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 Marie shares the system she developed to find the courage to confront hesitation and break down barriers that stood between her and the life she wanted.   Anne Marie Anderson is a 3x Emmy Award winning broadcaster, keynote speaker and author of Cultivating Audacity.   Get Anne’s book here: https://rb.gy/yl2f8q Cultivating Audacity: Dismantle Doubt and Let Yourself Win   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

12 Maalis 49min

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 (improving existing ones). Caroline also talks about the role of accountability, having the right kind of support, and how self-belief and hope can make a big difference in our life. Caroline also discusses the unique challenges women face when setting goals and how feedback from role models and strong relationships can help us stay on track and succeed.   For over three decades, Caroline Adams Miller has been a pioneer with her groundbreaking work in the areas of the science of goal setting, grit, happiness, and success. She is recognized as one of the world's leading positive psychology experts on this research and how it can be applied to one's life and work for maximum transformation. She is the author of nine books, including My Name is Caroline, Getting Grit, Positively Caroline and Creating Your Best Life, which the "father of Positive Psychology," Dr. Martin Seligman, lauded in Flourish as "adding a major missing piece" to the world of goal setting.   She is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University and attained one of the first 32 degrees in the world in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.   Get Caroline’s book here: https://rb.gy/x9iwik Big Goals: The Science of Setting Them, Achieving Them, and Creating Your Best Life   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

10 Maalis 49min

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 as an opportunity instead of a threat, and shares practical tips for handling difficult conversations. The episode covers when to address or avoid conflicts, dealing with family disputes, and the importance of being a good listener. Bob also offers advice on understanding others' perspectives and dealing with uncooperative and difficult people.   Bob Bordone is a Senior Fellow at Harvard Law School and the Founder and Principal of The Cambridge Negotiation Institute, a boutique consulting firm providing coaching, consulting, and training in negotiation conflict resilience, mediation, and conflict resolution.   He spent 21 years teaching full-time at Harvard Law School where he founded the Harvard Negotiation & Mediation Clinical Program. He is co-author/co-editor of three books, including his latest, Conflict Resilience: Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up or Giving In.   Get Bob’s book here: https://rb.gy/d1tqrx Conflict Resilience: Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up or Giving In   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

5 Maalis 52min

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, urging leaders to seek feedback and practice active listening. Sabina introduces tools like the "joyline" to identify what brings joy and fulfillment and emphasizes the importance of celebrating self-acceptance and prioritizing continuous development through micro-habits like journaling and meditation. Her new book, You’re the Boss, offers practical strategies for maintaining success and leadership effectiveness.   Sabina Nawaz who advises C-level executives and teams at Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions around the world. During her fourteen-year tenure at Microsoft, she went from managing software development teams to leading the company’s executive development and succession planning efforts for over 11,000 managers and nearly a thousand executives, advising Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer directly.   Get Sabina’s book here: https://rb.gy/tw6yuq You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)   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

3 Maalis 45min

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 the impact of the pandemic on workforce dynamics and the shift towards shorter, job-focused educational pathways. Her book, Who Needs College Anymore?, dives deeper into these topics.   Kathleen deLaski is an education and workforce designer, as well as a futurist. She founded the Education Design Lab in 2013 to help colleges begin the journey to reimagine higher education toward the future of work. Her non-profit has helped 1200 colleges, orgs and economic regions design shorter, more affordable pathways for learners to achieve their economic goals. She spends time as a senior advisor to the Project on Workforce at Harvard University and teaches human-centered design and higher ed reform as an adjunct professor in the Honors College at George Mason University. In a previous career, Kathleen spent twenty years as a TV and then a digital journalist, including time as ABC News White House correspondent. Followed by a political appointment as the first female Pentagon spokesperson.   Get Kathleen’s book here: https://www.whoneedscollegeanymore.org/ Who Needs College Anymore?: Imagining a Future Where Degrees Won’t Matter 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

26 Helmi 50min

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 information from experiences. JP shares how meditation can change one's relationship with stress and improve focus.   JP Pawliw-Fry is a world-renowned keynote speaker, and the author of the New York Times bestseller Performing Under Pressure which was named INC. Magazine’s Best Business Book of the Year. He teaches a leadership course at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Over the last 25 years, JP worked with leaders and high-pressure performers around the world — from Navy Seals and Olympic athletes to executives at global organizations like Intel, Coca Cola, and NASA.   Get JP’s book here: https://www.jppawliw-fry.com/the-book Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When it Matters Most   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

24 Helmi 43min

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 training. Siri discusses how to create fairer workplaces and suggests that small changes in organizational culture can lead to significant improvements in gender equality.   Siri Chilazi is a senior researcher at the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School whose life’s work is to advance gender equality in the workplace. Siri has an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, and a BA in Chemistry and Physics from Harvard College.   Get Siri’s new book here: https://rb.gy/99mu86 Make Work Fair: Data-Driven Design for Real Results   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

19 Helmi 47min