606: CEO Readiness: How Boards Decide Who Gets the Top Job

Scott Levy spent two decades as an investment banker at firms like J.P. Morgan, advising corporate boards and senior executives on risk, growth, and capital decisions. Then he pivoted, serving on a public school board, teaching at Harvard, and writing Why School Boards Matter.   In this episode, we discuss: How Levy broke into investment banking and the lessons that carried him through twenty years on Wall Street What he learned about resilience, risk-taking, and long-term thinking at the highest levels of finance Why he left a successful career to focus on public education and democracy How business principles can, and cannot, be applied productively to education What executives misunderstand about AI, and the questions they should be asking   Get Scott's book, Why School Boards Matter, here: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262552721/why-school-boards-matter/   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 Acton, a book we co-authored with some of our clients: www.FIRMSconsulting.com/gift

17 Nov 53min

Lynn Smith, former national news anchor for NBC News, MSNBC, and CNN Headline New, and now executive communication coach, reframes public speaking as an internal leadership skill, not a performance. She identifies the recurring obstacle as the "brain bully", the inner critic that turns preparation into paralysis, and shows leaders how to retrain it so that clarity, calm, and connection become repeatable outcomes.   This episode translates decades of live television experience into actionable communication tools for high-stakes settings—from boardrooms to keynotes to broadcast media.   Key takeaways: Name and neutralize the "brain bully." "It's that inner saboteur saying, 'You're not good enough' or 'What if you say the wrong thing?'" Smith explains. She traces these patterns back to early experiences and teaches clients to "control–alt–delete our prehistoric code" so fear no longer drives performance. People don't want perfection, they want resiliency. Recalling a keynote where she froze on stage, Smith says, "I had to stop and tell the audience, 'I'm so sorry, I'm failing at this.'" That failure became the basis for her coaching framework. "People don't want perfection, they want resiliency. They want to see people overcome." Replace over-scripting with intentional structure. "Executives spend hours memorizing, but the result is robotic. The big revelation is… it has nothing to do with your prep; it has everything to do with your mental game." Instead, she recommends bullet-pointing key ideas for authenticity and flow. Drill down, don't dumb down. Smith's "Goldilocks effect" balances preparation, "not too much, not too little", so communication stays sharp and digestible: "If you communicate everything, you communicate nothing." Make voice and presence technical. Drawing from broadcast training, Smith advises projecting "from your diaphragm, not your chest," and using "the power of enunciation" and pauses to improve recall and connection. Manage energy deliberately. "Everything is energy," she notes. High-frequency energy, calm, clear, positive, creates magnetism. "When you're vibrating at the level you want others to meet you at, people lean in." Model resilience for the next generation. Her children's book Just Keep Going distills the same mindset for young readers: that fear and failure are not endpoints, but steps toward growth. For executives preparing keynotes, investor meetings, or media appearances, this conversation provides a research-informed playbook to quiet the inner critic, align mindset and message, and lead with authentic, repeatable presence.   Get Lynn's book, Just Keep Going, here: https://tinyurl.com/ymt4jvtv   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 Acton, a book we co-authored with some of our clients: www.FIRMSconsulting.com/gift

12 Nov 53min

Is capitalism still working, or is it due for an upgrade?   In this must-watch episode, authors Seth Levine and Elizabeth McBride discuss insights from their book Capital Evolution, sharing what they learned from interviewing top CEOs, including Jamie Dimon, Dan Schulman (PayPal), Peter Stavros (KKR), and others who are helping to reshape the social contract of business.   They explore: Why Jamie Dimon led 200 top CEOs to declare that companies should serve more than just shareholders. "If you ask Jamie Dimon, are you a capitalist? Because we asked him that, he said, I'm a rapacious capitalist." – Seth Levine Why the old model of shareholder primacy is failing How economic mobility has collapsed: "50 years ago, if you were born in the bottom 25th percentile of wealth, you had about a 25% chance of dying in the top 25th... Today, it's about 5%." Why ownership, not just wages, is key to the next phase of capitalism: "Ownership is a key to this new future that we see." How businesses, not just governments, must now lead on economic reform: "We believe in this current environment that businesses have the largest power and some responsibility to reshape the norms."   🎙️ Featuring stories from PayPal, KKR, Apollo, and others, this conversation is packed with ideas for business leaders, investors, and citizens alike.   📘 Pre-order the book: https://thecapitalevolution.com 🎥 Hosted by Kris Safarova at StrategyTraining.com   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 Acton, a book we co-authored with some of our clients: www.FIRMSconsulting.com/gift

10 Nov 54min

"Most people can't remember the last time they went to bed and thought: today was fun."   In this conversation with Bree Groff, author of Today Was Fun, we recenter the conversation on joy, pleasure, and meaning at work. Bree shares why her mom always said, "I have the best days," what it taught her about how we spend our lives, and why fun is not frivolous, it's the driver of creativity, performance, and belonging.   We also dive into the future of work and AI: "If the AI is a train speeding up behind you, don't try to outrun it. Step off the tracks. Be the most human version of yourself." Why we should measure success not only in revenue and customers, but in whether our companies create good days. Why Mondays are not a renewable resource and how leaders can treat each day as a responsibility.   As Bree says: "The pain is optional, and the fun is free." 📘 Bree's book: Today Was Fun 🎧 More Strategy Skills Podcast episodes, click here. 📩 Free resources for leaders:   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 Acton, a book we co-authored with some of our clients:  www.FIRMSconsulting.com/gift

5 Nov 46min

What does it really take to go from working as a gas station cashier to leading a billion-dollar company?   In this Strategy Skills Podcast episode, host Kris Safarova speaks with Shirin Behzadi, author of The Unexpected CEO and former CEO of Home Franchise Concepts, where she scaled the business to nearly $1B in sales across 12,000 cities.   This is a remarkable entrepreneurship journey and CEO story filled with powerful leadership lessons, proof that resilience in leadership is a superpower, and insights into how to do well despite adversity.   You'll learn: How to define a vision and reverse-engineer your career growth Why asking for opportunities (even when it feels risky) can change your life The "secret sauce" of scaling a company to nearly $1B How to build personal growth through adversity What the future of leadership looks like with AI in business   📖 Get Shirin's book: The Unexpected CEO 🌐 Connect with Shirin: shirinbehzadi.com | LinkedIn | Instagram   🎁 Free Strategy Resources for Listeners: If you want to strengthen your strategy, leadership, and problem-solving skills, visit StrategyTraining.com — the advanced training platform trusted by consultants, executives, business owners and leaders worldwide.   Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach   McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf   Get Exclusive Episode 1 Access of How to Build a Consulting Practice: www.firmsconsulting.com/build   Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

3 Nov 54min

Vik Malhotra, McKinsey senior partner and coauthor of CEO Excellence and A CEO for All Seasons, examines the strategic pressures that now define the CEO role: a "30- to 40-year tech revolution," intensifying geopolitics, shifting consumer behavior, and demographic change. As he notes, "every business at some level is a tech business," and this multipolar, fast-changing environment places a premium on leaders who can "thread the needle" between paradoxes, short-term delivery versus long-term reinvention, legacy versus disruption, and analysis versus decisiveness. The conversation connects these macrotrends to practical leadership mechanics, how to set direction, allocate scarce resources, and design institutions that can learn, adapt, and scale without losing their core. Key strategic insights and takeaways Set an audacious, persistent north star. "The very best leaders set bold, some might say audacious, aspirations early in their tenure," Malhotra explains. Through downturns and market noise, they "persevere" and repeat a few priorities "until the organization internalizes them." Consistency, not novelty, creates credibility and followership. Treat resource allocation as a hard choice. "Capital, expense, and talent, it's a zero-sum game," he recalls from his interview with Jamie Dimon. Great CEOs "starve something" to fund their boldest bets and resist spreading resources "like peanut butter." Make culture operational and selective. Effective leaders focus on one or two levers that reinforce strategy, Satya Nadella's emphasis on a growth mindset at Microsoft being a prime example. They design rituals, incentives, and role modeling that embed new behavior. Build a star team, not a team of stars. As one CEO told Malhotra, "This is not about a team of stars, it's about a star team." Complementary strengths, mutual accountability, and candor matter more than individual brilliance. Institutionalize continuous learning and reinvention. Exceptional leaders avoid the "sophomore slump." They systematize learning—internally by seeking dissent and externally by "looking around corners." "You can never be complacent," Jamie Dimon told him. "You've got to keep pushing forward." Operate as a technology-native company. "Every company is a tech company," Malhotra insists. Technology must be business-led, embedded in cross-functional product teams, and scaled deliberately beyond experimentation, especially in AI. Anticipate nonmarket shocks. Leading teams now run geopolitical and demographic scenarios "to understand how the company might have to pivot." This preparedness extends to smaller firms "thrust into geopolitics" for the first time. Distinguish between experimentation and bet-the-company decisions. Leaders should allow "rapid, cheap failure" to learn quickly, but apply exhaustive risk management to the few "truly consequential, bet-the-company" decisions. 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 Get Exclusive Episode 1 Access of How to Build a Consulting Practice: www.firmsconsulting.com/build Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

27 Okt 47min

Few leaders have run Fortune 500 giants on different continents. Dr. Klaus Kleinfeld has. As CEO of Siemens (Germany) and Alcoa (U.S.), he has led global transformations across industries and advised presidents and heads of state. In this interview, Klaus shares: Why time management is a myth and energy is the real driver of performance How leaders must "AI-ize" their organizations or risk irrelevance What skills will still matter when AI automates analysts, lawyers, and even screenwriters How purpose condenses energy "like a laser beam" The universal leadership lessons from four decades across Europe, the U.S., and the Middle East His book, Leading to Thrive, combines the inner game (energy, resilience, purpose) and the outer game (leadership, strategy, boards, and competition). Listen now and learn what it takes to lead at the very top and to stay there in the age of AI. 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 Get Exclusive Episode 1 Access of How to Build a Consulting Practice: www.firmsconsulting.com/build Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

22 Okt 1h 1min

In this week's Strategy Skills episode, we spoke with Ben Swire, author of Safe Danger and former leader at IDEO. His thesis is trust and psychological safety aren't byproducts. They're designable conditions. And when designed correctly, they create room for calculated risk, creativity, and deeper collaboration. Below are a few insights that stood out: 1. Experiential culture > Instructional culture "There's a difference between handing someone bullet points on how to build trust and giving them a space to practice it." Swire's workshops deliberately use low-stakes emotional challenges to normalize openness and risk-taking. The result: teams that critique, challenge, and share more effectively. 2. The right environment for growth is neither 'safe' nor 'dangerous', it's both "Safe danger is the space where people feel secure enough to step outside their comfort zones." This is about systematically building tolerance for uncertainty, while preserving respect and inclusion. 3. AI makes human insight more, not less, valuable "AI converges. Humans diverge. That's where value creation happens." The strategic challenge for leaders is to identify which human capabilities (empathy, contradiction, surprise) will grow in relevance as AI adoption expands. 4. Most resistance to AI is cultural, not technical About 15% of executives Ben sees reject AI outright. But those who fail to define the human contribution clearly are still at risk. "If you want to preserve jobs, don't argue with AI. Focus on what people can do that AI can't." 5. What actually builds durable teams "Teams that feel safe take more risks, make fewer mistakes, and outperform others. There's strong data behind this." This conversation is relevant if you're leading transformation, team design, or trying to calibrate your culture for the post-AI workplace. 📚 Get Ben's book, Safe Danger, here: https://shorturl.at/GuVGP 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 Get Exclusive Episode 1 Access of How to Build a Consulting Practice: www.firmsconsulting.com/build Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

20 Okt 59min