601: Former CNN and NBC News Anchor Lynn Smith on Building Authentic Presence and Excellent Communication

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 316, an episode with the author of Digital Transformation Payday, Tim Bottke. Why do companies embark on digital transformation? Is it because they need it? Or is it because it's the trend? In this episode, we deep dived into the world of digital transformation. We discussed the common mistakes companies make when pursuing digital transformation and the rationale that CEOs and leaders must have to succeed in this endeavor. Tim Bottke is a senior Strategy Partner at Monitor Deloitte and an Associate Professor for Strategy and Digital Transformation at SDA Bocconi, a Financial Times, Forbes, and Bloomberg Businessweek top five European business school. He has more than 22 years of top management consulting and digital transformation experience from two global strategy boutiques and Deloitte, working with clients in more than 20 countries. Digital Transformation Payday: Navigate the Hype, Lower the Risks, Increase Return on Investments. Tim Bottke Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

30 Jan 202344min

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we interviewed Suneel Gupta, the author of the international bestselling book Backable (2020). This book is rooted in his inner journey from twice-failed entrepreneur to becoming a leader behind two IPOs and being named "The New Face of Innovation" by the New York Stock Exchange. The book reveals the mindset shifts and hidden habits of people who are extraordinary at pushing new ideas forward. It shows how the key to success is not charisma, connections, or even your résumé, but rather your ability to persuade others to take a chance on you. As the founding CEO of RISE, a breakthrough wellness company, Suneel helped thousands of people establish a way to personalize their physical and mental health journey while connecting with certified nutritionists and trainers at an affordable price. The company was named "App of the Year" and partnered with then first-Lady Michelle Obama before being acquired by the NASDAQ-listed company One Medical Group. In 2022, with its acquisition of One Medical Group, RISE is now part of Amazon. As visiting scholar at Harvard Medical School, Suneel researches and teaches the interconnection between inner well-being and outer leadership. He is also emissary for Gross National Happiness between the United States and the Kingdom of Bhutan. Suneel is currently the host of Business Class, a docuseries created by American Express where he showcases entrepreneurs and business visionaries who embody struggle and resilience. He is joined on the show by guests like Top Chef's Tom Colicchio, former monk Jay Shetty, and Martha Stewart. Suneel has also personally backed ventures including Impossible Foods, AirBnB, 23andMe, and SpaceX. He was one of the very first investors in CALM, which now helps millions of people achieve a greater sense of work/life balance. Get Suneel's book here: Backable: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take a Chance on You. Suneel Gupta Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

25 Jan 20231h 22min

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we interviewed the former Amazon Digital Media VP, Bill Carr. Bill is the coauthor of Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon, an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from two long-time, top-level Amazon executives. Bill Carr joined Amazon in 1999 and spent more than 15 years with the company. As the former Vice President of Digital Media, Bill launched and managed the company's global digital music and video businesses, including Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Amazon Studios. After Amazon, Bill was an Executive In Residence with Maveron LLC, an early-stage, consumer-only venture capital firm. Bill later served as the Chief Operating Officer of OfferUp, the largest mobile marketplace for local buyers and sellers in the U.S. Today, Bill is the co-founder of Working Backwards LLC where he coaches executives at large and early-stage companies on how to implement the management practices developed at Amazon. Bill holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colby College and a Masters in Business Administration from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Get Bill's book here: Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon. Bill Carr and Colin Bryar. Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

23 Jan 20231h 15min

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from the Corporate Strategy & Transformation study. In this podcast, we look at the problem of superficial financial analysis. One way to save the client money, before they run out of cash in about 16 months, is to stop all investments which lose money. This, however, is a terrible idea that will cause enormous damage to the client's core business, consumers, and the economy. We discuss how we handle this recommendation and what we proposed in the study to fix the problem. Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

18 Jan 20239min

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we address how to answer difficult questions raised by the client during an executive workshop or another type of client's executive group meeting. We start with discussing the right mindset any consultant requires to be able to effectively handle difficult questions from a client. We thereafter review the particular steps in addressing a client's difficult questions raised during a workshop or a presentation. Lastly, we dive into which skills are required to be able to handle difficult questions, especially the kind of questions for which you don't have an immediate answer. Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

16 Jan 202315min

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss how accurate our financial model for the market entry strategy study is. Watch the video version here: How accurate was our financial model for the market entry strategy study? Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

11 Jan 202313min

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic about the top-down view of energy. It is crucial to provide boundaries when discussing sector-wide issues or the executives may get lost in the details and miss the key levers. Watch the video version here: Top-Down View of Energy Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

9 Jan 20239min

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we interview an amazing neuroscientist, Dr. Wendy Suzuki. Wendy and Michael discuss how much many of us compromise our cognition and what can be done to improve our performance. You may be able to brag about that 1 a.m. email but if you could monitor your level of cognition you would quickly see, "Oh my God! This is not good." What is it doing for your brain? What is it doing for your executive functions in the prefrontal cortex? Leadership is not just about managing a team and setting goals for them. This is such a one-dimensional definition of leadership. Leadership is whether you can be fulfilled by what you are doing, be able to get up in the morning, and not kill yourself in the process of meeting a goal that some shareholder wants you to meet. You have to distinguish between health and performance. You can be performing quite high but you can be doing some dangerous things to push those numbers up or to push that productivity up. Just because you are performing well does not mean you are doing it in a sustainable way. If you enjoy the conversation and would like to learn more from Wendy, we recommend you read her engaging and practical book "Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better." Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

4 Jan 20231h 14min