264: Ash Ali & Hasan Kubba, Discover your unfair advantage

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 214, an episode with CEO and executive coach, Emily Bermes. Get Emily's book here: " data-userid="751940007443001344" data-orgid="751940008097312768">https://amzn.to/3B2vZXD In this episode, Emily spoke about the challenges that new generation executives are facing, particularly during the trying times of the pandemic. She discussed how having no physical role model or person to look up to impacts how an executive behaves and performs, and how executives cope up with that. Emily Bermes is the CEO of a human capital consulting firm. She has devoted her career to helping executives—from Fortune 100 companies to industry-shifting startups—successfully assimilate into new roles, create strong teams, and develop cultures that attract and retain the best talent. Combining more than 20 years of experience as a partner-level management consultant and executive coach with her background as a quantitative researcher, Emily is a master at creating customized, elegant solutions for the toughest organizational and human capital challenges. She has successfully assimilated nearly 100 executives across multiple industries. Bombproof: A Field Proven Guide for the New-to-Role Executive. Emily Bermes: " data-userid="751940007443001344" data-orgid= "751940008097312768">https://amzn.to/3B2vZXD Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

7 Feb 202237min

For this episode, let's revisit one of Strategy Skills classics where we discuss why you should avoid the strategy echo chamber. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

2 Feb 202214min

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. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

31 Jan 202222min

For this episode, let's revisit one of the classics by Strategy Skills where we discuss how to complete logical case studies. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

26 Jan 202210min

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 day. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

24 Jan 202213min

For this episode, let's revisit one of the classics by Strategy Skills where we talk about one of the issues that we deal with at Firmsconsulting and which many ex employees of major consulting firms (e.g. ex McKinsey and ex BCG consultants) encounter as they embark on building their own boutique consulting firms or even when they join other consulting firm as employees. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

19 Jan 202211min

How do you become an outstanding management consultant? Should you excel at analysis? Should you master problem-solving? Should you become the world's most gifted communicator? You could master all of the aforementioned items and still be an average management consultant at best. Great management consultants have all these skills but they have one more quality that makes them great, they are not just competent business people but they are also artists. For this episode, let's revisit one of the classics by Strategy Skills where we explain the mindset we encourage teams to use on the study. This is the mindset I used in my career and it is very different from what you would expect. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

17 Jan 202224min

For this episode, let's revisit one of the classics by Strategy Skills with Bill Matassoni, where we discussed a topic about Tesla's strategy. Every now and then, someone comes along and makes the subject of management both fun and insightful. That’s what Bill Matassoni has done in his memoir—a combination of compelling stories and contrarian substance—that covers his forty-year career selling what he calls “ephemeral things.” In addition to the memoir, Bill plays host to a series of videos that are entertaining, irreverent, and filled with his conviction that marketing is the primary driver of progress in both commercial and social markets. We will soon release Bill Matassoni's memoir and documentary series. If you would like to read a bonus chapter, view advance content and receive other exclusive strategy material, please sign up below. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

12 Jan 202234min