in 🔶 general

October 27

New This Week On StrategyTraining.com

“A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees an opportunity in every difficulty.”
— Winston Churchill

Optimism is often misunderstood. It’s not a naïve conviction that things will work out. It’s a recognition that progress is forged through difficulties, not around it.

Every major transformation, whether technological, personal, or organizational, follows the same pattern. The moment of maximum friction is also the moment of highest potential energy. What separates those who advance from those who stall is access to better tools, knowledge, and guidance, and a willingness to stay engaged. In other words, resilience.

Those who frame setbacks as opportunities rather than verdicts consistently outperform expectations. They don’t escape difficulty, they metabolize it.

In many ways, that mindset mirrors what drives the most adaptive systems in business and technology. Feedback loops, dynamic iteration, real‑time correction, each depends on the capacity to extract learning from error. Leaders are no different. The strongest ones dismantle their own defensive narratives before waiting for disruption to do it for them.

The coming weeks inside our advanced programs were built for this exact inflection point, to train the lens through which you interpret challenge. To turn operational turbulence into a form of strategic intelligence.

Because in the end, optimism is not the absence of hardship. And, if you know my story, you will know I am very familiar with facing a lot of hardship. It’s the discipline of continuing to progress in spite of it.

Let's look at all the new resources available for members this week:

For Strategy Control Room Advanced Members

Beyond AI: Where Technology Is Heading – Part 4 of TBD

AI and digital technologies are reshaping asset-heavy industries, shifting the focus from physical capital to data-driven strategies. With examples like John Deere, Tesla, and Cruise, this latest SCRA update from the Center of Excellence shows how innovations such as statistical maps and AI systems are transforming industry standards, driving sustainability, and underscoring the need for digital adoption to stay competitive.

For Insider Members

These new training episodes were released this week.

The Hidden Cost of Easy Answers - Episode 3 of 3
This program is designed to counteract the profound erosion of identity and cognitive skills caused by the pervasive overload of information and the documented brain-dulling effects of Artificial Intelligence, which can leave individuals feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, and with weakened critical thinking skills.
Episode title: Standing in front of a wave

Building a Consulting Practice. Level II – Episode 14 of TBD
Level II moves beyond the fundamentals of establishing or rebuilding a consulting business to focus on the advanced discipline of turning everyday engagements into engines of sustained growth.

Through real-world examples, including an operations strategy project that evolved into an entirely new consulting practice, you’ll learn how to:

- Redirect client discussions from transactional tasks toward high-value, strategic issues.
- Identify opportunities even when no obvious “problem” is on the table.
- Position yourself as a trusted advisor where your input is taken into account for critical decisions.

Follow how strategic thinking can be applied in operational contexts, discussions can be triangulated toward your strengths, and growth can be designed to outlast any single engagement. Together with Level I and programs such as Partnership Memoir, Rebuilding a Consulting Practice, and How to Sell >$10MM Consulting Studies. The Andrew Program, this series offers a powerful roadmap for building a resilient, high-impact consulting practice.
Episode title: The Proposal. Understanding the options

The Bill Matassoni Show, Season 3 (Part 2 - Nicholas Gertler) – Episode 9 of 15
In this episode, Bill Matassoni engages in a deep strategic dialogue with Nicholas Gertler, a former McKinsey colleague, on how to redesign systems to create value for all stakeholders. Moving beyond traditional advertising and sales approaches, they explore the role of storytelling and influence as levers to reshape industries, organizations, and relationships.

Filmed at the iconic Philip Johnson Glass House, the conversation challenges leaders to reconsider how value is defined, created, and sustained, and how their own work can drive meaningful, long-term change. The series, now followed by senior leaders and executives from major organizations, offers practical tools to broaden perspective and uncover opportunities often missed by others.
Episode title: Drug development and systemic failures

For Legacy Members

Legacy members gain access to all Insider content, plus these exclusive episodes:

Analyzing a Winning Major IT Strategy Proposal - Episode 1 of 3
When there isn’t one clear crisis to solve but an undercurrent of discontent across the business, how do you uncover where value can be created? In this program, Michael breaks down a winning digital and AI strategy proposal to show how great consultants find, build trust, and deliver value where others feel confused.
Episode title: Know your firm's strategy first

How to Make Tough Personal Decisions - Episode 4 of 8
What happens when one life-changing decision collides with your other responsibilities? In this program, Michael unpacks a client’s dilemma, three prestigious career paths, and reveals the lens you can use before making choices that shape both your life and theirs.
Episode title: Third 3 of the 2-3-3 lens

Landing a Signature Consulting Sale - Episode 5 of 5
When building client relationships, are you treating every engagement the same, or are you thinking like a strategist, choosing battles that open the door to far greater opportunities? This program reveals how a single well-placed move can reshape your entire sales strategy.
Episode title: Acting on the pattern to generate a large sale

Insiders can upgrade to Legacy at any time and revert to Insider without losing Insider status.

To upgrade: While logged in, select any Legacy program and follow the upgrade prompt.

To return to Insider: Email team@firmsconsulting.com, and we will restore your Insider status, provided there are no gaps in your subscription or gaps are covered.

Legacy Member Q&A — Tailored Partner Feedback
Legacy members may submit one personal or professional question twice per month. A partner will respond with a custom recorded answer.

Submission deadlines: 15th and 30th of each month

Format: One paragraph emailed to team@firmsconsulting.com

Include: Relevant context and details so we can provide precise, actionable guidance

Subject line: Legacy Question

Strategy Skills Podcast (ranked among the top 5–10 career podcasts in many countries for over 10 years)
These episodes are now available on iTunes, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms.

New York Times Bestselling Author Jim Murphy on How to Overcome Fear & Build Emotional Resilience - with Jim Murphy

In this episode, Jim Murphy, New York Times bestselling author, shares how leaders can build resilience, reframe fear, and operate well under pressure. His approach blends performance psychology, neuroscience, and spiritual discipline.

1. Identity Beyond Roles

Murphy emphasizes the risk of anchoring identity in professional roles or achievements:
“When I lost baseball due to injury, I felt like I lost everything. My whole identity was wrapped up in that role.”

For executives and consultants, this is a reminder: leadership requires identity that outlasts titles, deals, or short-term wins. Anchoring in deeper values creates long-term stability.

2. Fear as a Performance Constraint

Murphy defines fear as “a byproduct of self-centeredness.” The executive cost is high: constant comparison, judgment, and anxiety undermine decision-making.

He identifies three key obstacles to peak performance:

Excessive, scattered thoughts
Negative or judgmental self-talk
Concern with others’ opinions

“When you’re at your very best … there’s no concern for self. You’re totally caught up in the moment.”

Focus on the work, not the ego.

3. Rewiring Fear and Trauma

Murphy reframes fear and phobias:
“Phobias are your subconscious working perfectly to protect you.”

Through structured methods and neuroplasticity, leaders can “rewire” how they respond to past failures and pressure.

“You can have a phobia for 50 years, and it can be gone in less than an hour.”

Performance limits are rarely permanent, they can be retrained.

4. Freedom Through Surrender and Detachment

Murphy shares a practical mantra he learned from an athlete he trained:

“I expect nothing. I can handle anything.”

This principle strips away attachment to outcomes, freeing leaders to make bolder, less ego-driven decisions. As he puts it:

“The most powerful thing anyone can do is surrender their little strength for the power that grows the grass and spins the earth.”

5. The Best Possible Life (and Career)

Murphy notes:

“The best possible life has one foot in joy and one foot in suffering. We can’t gain wisdom without going through hard things.”

Growth requires discomfort. A career without setbacks yields little wisdom.

6. Practical Tools Leaders Can Use

Murphy provides several techniques executives can adopt immediately:

Breath control: slowing to 5–6 breaths per minute to stabilize thought patterns under pressure.
Structured reflection: gratitude, presence, and visualization as part of a daily routine.
Ego discipline: exercises that reduce the need for external validation and increase clarity in communication.

Listen to the episode here (you can also watch or read the transcript).

$2 Billion NYC Real Estate Broker on the Strategy of Homeownership - with Scott Harris

Scott Harris, a New York City real estate broker with more than $2 billion in career sales, is the author of The Pursuit of Home. Drawing on two decades of high-volume practice, he shows how structure and empathy turn one of life’s biggest financial decisions into a more deliberate, rewarding process.

Key insights and practical lessons:

Hire with intent. “Take the time to hire a real estate agent that speaks their language… so they feel seen and heard.”
Use offers as diagnostics. “When you make an offer… your body says, ‘Oh my God, I’m so nervous. I love this place.’ That’s the truth.” Even small commitments reveal what a buyer truly values.
Lead through service during downturns. In crises such as COVID-19, Harris focused on community logistics and donation drives rather than retreating, actions that “added tons of value” and built long-term trust.
Read the market. Buyers err by “negotiating as if real estate were their industry,” while sellers overvalue personal attachment. Both sides win with rigorous market framing and honest prep.
Match investments to capacity. Real estate, Harris reminds, “is not a get-rich-quick scheme.” Choose asset types (short-term rentals, LP stakes, or diversified funds) based on desired involvement and risk.
Protect personal capacity. Sustained performance comes from “daily meditation, consistent exercise, and the accountability of a coach.”

Listen to the episode here.

Additionally, here are the recent releases on FIRMSconsulting / StrategyTraining.com / Kris Safarova YouTube Channels:

You Can Dramatically Improve Your Communication Skills - with Kris Safarova.
Access here.

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Succession: Greg Abel and 7 Lessons for Leaders - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

How Elite Consulting Partners Structure Corporate Strategy Engagements - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

IT Strategy vs. Corporate Strategy: Microsoft - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

How to Build Consulting Storyboards in 3 Weeks (This is How McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte Do It) - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

How to Feel Comfortable on Camera - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

Management Consulting Storyboard | Storyboarding used by McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, PwC et al. - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

McKinsey’s Rise to Prominence Under Marvin Bower - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

The Systems Behind Sustained High Performance with ADHD - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

How to Enroll in Insider, Legacy, or Strategy Control Room Advanced

Enrollment in Insider, Legacy, and Strategy Control Room Advanced is currently open.

To join: Visit StrategyTraining.com and select the membership that fits your goals. If you would like guidance on which tier is the best fit for you, email team@firmsconsulting.com.

To upgrade from Insider to Legacy: While logged in, select any Legacy program and follow the prompt.

To return from Legacy to Insider: Email team@firmsconsulting.com. We will restore your Insider status if your subscription has remained continuous or if any gap has been covered.

Strategy Control Room Advanced (SCRA): Our most comprehensive reading library, including full studies, proposals, Centers of Excellence, and books not available elsewhere. You may join the SCRA directly, or begin with a monthly SCR membership and earn advanced status in your seventh month.

There is always another level of contribution and compensation. We are here to help you reach it.

Kristina Safarova

in 🔶 general

October 21

New This Week On StrategyTraining.com

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.”

— Michelangelo

So many leaders stagnate once they reach a certain point in their careers. Yesterday, I recorded another program for Insiders and Legacy members on rewiring your programming and a new way to look at the present time and the power it holds. It should be coming out in the next few weeks.

One of the first things that often happens when a client starts working with us within one of our executive coaching programs is that their identity starts expanding in terms of what they believe is possible for them.

Every engagement, decision, or analysis can either reinforce what you already know or nudge you to think and act differently. The leaders who advance faster than their peers are the ones who deliberately choose the latter.

This week’s releases are built for that mindset, to challenge your reasoning, expand how you define problems, and raise your standard for what “good” and what your desired future looks like.

Let's look at all the new resources available for members this week:

For Strategy Control Room Advanced Members

The Hidden Cost of Easy Answers - Episode 2 of 3
This program is designed to counteract the profound erosion of identity and cognitive skills caused by the pervasive overload of information and the documented brain-dulling effects of Artificial Intelligence, which can leave individuals feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, and with weakened critical thinking skills.
Episode title: You Are in Charge

Building a Consulting Practice. Level II – Episode 13 of TBD
Level II moves beyond the fundamentals of establishing or rebuilding a consulting business to focus on the advanced discipline of turning everyday engagements into engines of sustained growth.

Through real-world examples, including an operations strategy project that evolved into an entirely new consulting practice, you’ll learn how to:

- Redirect client discussions from transactional tasks toward high-value, strategic issues.
- Identify opportunities even when no obvious “problem” is on the table.
- Position yourself as a trusted advisor where your input is taken into account for critical decisions.

Follow how strategic thinking can be applied in operational contexts, discussions can be triangulated toward your strengths, and growth can be designed to outlast any single engagement. Together with Level I and programs such as Partnership Memoir, Rebuilding a Consulting Practice, and How to Sell >$10MM Consulting Studies. The Andrew Program, this series offers a powerful roadmap for building a resilient, high-impact consulting practice.
Episode title: The Proposal. Project Logic

The Bill Matassoni Show, Season 3 (Part 2 - Nicholas Gertler) – Episode 8 of 15
In this episode, Bill Matassoni engages in a deep strategic dialogue with Nicholas Gertler, a former McKinsey colleague, on how to redesign systems to create value for all stakeholders. Moving beyond traditional advertising and sales approaches, they explore the role of storytelling and influence as levers to reshape industries, organizations, and relationships.

Filmed at the iconic Philip Johnson Glass House, the conversation challenges leaders to reconsider how value is defined, created, and sustained, and how their own work can drive meaningful, long-term change. The series, now followed by senior leaders and executives from major organizations, offers practical tools to broaden perspective and uncover opportunities often missed by others.
Episode title: Stakeholder Value in Healthcare Systems

For Legacy Members

Legacy members gain access to all Insider content, plus these exclusive episodes:

How to Make Tough Personal Decisions - Episode 3 of 8
What happens when one life-changing decision collides with your other responsibilities? In this program, Michael unpacks a client’s dilemma, three prestigious career paths, and reveals the lens you can use before making choices that shape both your life and theirs.
Episode title: Second 3 of the 2-3-3 Lens

Landing a Signature Consulting Sale - Episode 4 of 5
When building client relationships, are you treating every engagement the same, or are you thinking like a strategist, choosing battles that open the door to far greater opportunities? This program reveals how a single well-placed move can reshape your entire sales strategy.
Episode title: The (very) strong disincentives to act on pattern recognition

Earning a Seat in the Core Group - Episode 4 of 4
Many professionals focus on how to get into the inner circle of decision-makers. But the real question is... what will you do once you’re there, especially if your goals don’t align with the company’s priorities?
Episode title: What Should You Do?

Insiders can upgrade to Legacy at any time and revert to Insider without losing Insider status.

To upgrade: While logged in, select any Legacy program and follow the upgrade prompt.

To return to Insider: Email team@firmsconsulting.com, and we will restore your Insider status, provided there are no gaps in your subscription or gaps are covered.

Legacy Member Q&A — Tailored Partner Feedback
Legacy members may submit one personal or professional question twice per month. A partner will respond with a custom recorded answer.

Submission deadlines: 15th and 30th of each month

Format: One paragraph emailed to team@firmsconsulting.com

Include: Relevant context and details so we can provide precise, actionable guidance

Subject line: Legacy Question

Strategy Skills Podcast (ranked among the top 5–10 career podcasts in many countries for over 10 years)
These episodes are now available on iTunes, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms.

Ex McKisney and Goldman Sachs, CEO of FCLT Global on Turning Investor Dialogue into Strategy - with Sarah Keohane Williamson

Sarah Keohane Williamson, CEO of FCLT Global and coauthor of The CEO’s Guide to the Investment Galaxy, offers a primer for executives operating at the intersection of corporate strategy and capital markets. Drawing from her background in investment banking, government, consulting, and asset management, she explains why “investors are not a single audience,” how their incentives shape corporate outcomes, and what leaders must do differently to secure durable capital and strategic flexibility.

Williamson pushes back on conventional wisdom about investor relations, replacing it with practical routines and priorities. She emphasizes a consulting-rooted discipline, “Start with the answer”, as a communications principle, and translates it into a concrete playbook for CEOs who cannot afford ambiguity when describing long-term bets. She underscores that “quarterly calls are important, but they’re often dominated by the sell side,” and CEOs should deliberately allocate their limited time toward building trust with long-term owners and anchor shareholders.

Key takeaways include:

Map the owners. “Who actually owns your company? Who makes the decisions about those shares?” Owner types (retail, index funds, active managers, hedge funds) differ in incentives and time horizons, and executives should treat that map as a strategic input.
Build an investor strategy like a customer strategy. Decide which kinds of capital the company needs, why, and how to attract and retain those investors.
Use a long-term roadmap. Make risky investments intelligible by explaining milestones that link short-term actions to enduring value, and “don’t be afraid to update the roadmap when the assumptions change.”
Translate investor signals into operational choices. Avoid reflexive short-term fixes, like cutting R&D to meet a quarter, without measuring the long-term cost.
Treat disclosure and dialogue as governance tools. Clarity about ownership, voting, and incentives reduces misalignment and reputational risk.
Reframe consultancy input for execution. “The hard part is not the analysis, the hard part is making it happen inside the organization.”

This episode equips CEOs, CFOs, and board members with a practical framework for raising capital, defending strategic bets, and managing shareholder composition. It reframes investor engagement from a compliance exercise into a core discipline of strategy and governance.

Listen to the episode here (you can also watch or read the transcript).

Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Company's CEO on Behavioral Science That Sells - with MichaelAaron Flicker

MichaelAaron Flicker, founder and CEO of Xenopsi Ventures and coauthor of Hacking the Human Mind, explains how applied behavioral science transforms insight into repeatable commercial advantage across brands, products, and customer experiences. Drawing from his experience building multiple Inc. 5000 recognized companies, Flicker illustrates how understanding “the unconscious biases that drive our actions” can make marketing, consulting, and organizational strategy more effective.

The discussion links behavioral research to real-world business practice, naming, positioning, experience design, and sales behavior, so leaders can test small, evidence-based changes that have an outsized impact on recall, adoption, and loyalty.

Key insights include:

Prioritize one persuasive benefit. “How could one firm be good at everything?” Flicker notes. Presenting a single, clear advantage is more believable than listing many. He cites the gold-dilution effect, the psychological finding that “people are more confident when just one advantage is presented.” Five Guys’ “burgers and fries” focus exemplifies this principle.
Make messages concrete. “You could see it in your mind,” Flicker says of Steve Jobs’s famous iPod line, “1,000 songs in your pocket.” Studies show concrete imagery is four times more memorable than abstract phrasing, a lesson echoed by taglines like “Taste the Rainbow” and “Melts in your mouth, not in your hand.”
Design for the peak and the end. Experiences are remembered by their high point and final moment, not their average quality, the peak-end rule first documented by Daniel Kahneman. Memorable, low-cost touches, like the “popsicle hotline” at Los Angeles’s Magic Castle Hotel or Virgin’s post-checkout beach service, create disproportionate positive recall.
Close the intention-action gap. People often fail to follow through on good intentions. Tying behavior to time, place, and social triggers, “be there for your daughter’s piano recital this July,” is more effective than abstract logic about long-term health or performance.
Apply behavioral science ethically. “These are not tricks to change people,” Flicker emphasizes. “They’re pre-existing biases we all have.” Used responsibly, behavioral insights help customers make better decisions and strengthen brand trust.
Focus on systems, not slogans. Flicker highlights organizational habits, 25- and 50-minute meetings, strong psychological safety, and delegation with accountability, as tools that sustain experimentation and growth. “Your most critical people have to feel they can say they’re not sure what to do,” he notes, describing curiosity and candor as the foundation of learning cultures.

Listen to the episode here (you can also watch or read the transcript).

Additionally, here are the recent releases on FIRMSconsulting / StrategyTraining.com / Kris Safarova YouTube Channels:

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Succession: Greg Abel and 7 Lessons for Leaders - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

How Elite Consulting Partners Structure Corporate Strategy Engagements - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

IT Strategy vs. Corporate Strategy: Microsoft - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

How to Build Consulting Storyboards in 3 Weeks (This is How McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte Do It) - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

How to Feel Comfortable on Camera - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

Management Consulting Storyboard | Storyboarding used by McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, PwC et al. - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

McKinsey’s Rise to Prominence Under Marvin Bower - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

The Systems Behind Sustained High Performance with ADHD - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

How to Enroll in Insider, Legacy, or Strategy Control Room Advanced

Enrollment in Insider, Legacy, and Strategy Control Room Advanced is currently open.

To join: Visit StrategyTraining.com and select the membership that fits your goals. If you would like guidance on which tier is the best fit for you, email team@firmsconsulting.com.

To upgrade from Insider to Legacy: While logged in, select any Legacy program and follow the prompt.

To return from Legacy to Insider: Email team@firmsconsulting.com. We will restore your Insider status if your subscription has remained continuous or if any gap has been covered.

Strategy Control Room Advanced (SCRA): Our most comprehensive reading library, including full studies, proposals, Centers of Excellence, and books not available elsewhere. You may join the SCRA directly, or begin with a monthly SCR membership and earn advanced status in your seventh month.

There is always another level of contribution and compensation. We are here to help you reach it.

Kristina Safarova

in 🔶 general

October 13

From Manager to Director, and now shaping Partner promotions

We received a message in the last few days from a long-time Insider and Legacy member (see image).

(*KPMG is not redacted as per approval from the client.)

It means a lot to see that our work has been with this member from the time he prepared to join consulting, through his promotion to Director, and now as he advises regulated utilities and major energy projects.

The principles he learned shaped two partner promotions in the last three years.
It changed the course of this amazing leader’s life, and others in his network.

It really means a lot to us to see clients fully benefit from the work we do for them.

And what he described doesn’t happen by chance.
It’s not random. It’s not luck.
It’s the result of a person deciding to go all in.

When people write to me saying they want a free trial, I know they are likely not a good fit for our community. With so many materials they already had access to in free access (YouTube, podcasts, some of our books), serious people don’t need a trial. They know what they are getting. They can discern when they are seeing work worth paying attention to.

Plus, we have such affordable ways to test the waters, such as a monthly Premium membership, which unlocks very powerful materials but costs only $167 per month, with no long-term commitment.

In the case of the client above, this is someone who was a member for a very long time and used our resources to build out a skill set to progress throughout his career.

Tom committed long-term, has helped other leaders along the way, and that is why he has been reaping rewards.

It takes time to learn the skills we teach. Even many partners in major firms don’t have the skills we teach. Most executives at major organizations outside of consulting don't have the skills we teach. It requires commitment to learning, to applying, and to thinking differently about how they show up, how they advise clients (internal or external), and how they make decisions.

Many people focus on quick fixes and think that AI will let them avoid learning the critical skills required to be a successful executive. But they are wrong. AI is very powerful and should be integrated with a sense of urgency. But it is not a replacement for learning foundational skills for any executive, within consulting or outside, which is what we cover in depth within Insider and Legacy memberships, in the Strategy Control Room Advanced, and in our executive coaching programs.

Most people focus on quick fixes. Surface-level knowledge. Just enough to pass as knowledgeable. That doesn’t work at higher levels of seniority. This is when people start feeling like impostors because they are. You have to put in the work and the time to be an exceptional leader.

Over the last few weeks, Michael and I have had an opportunity to work with another client, who is one of our most beloved clients. It was an unusual, special project outside of any of our programs. This client is preparing for a very senior position recruitment process within a major private equity firm, and we were working on the strategy for the critical arm of that firm. And that client is such an incredible example of a kind of leader who uses no shortcuts, who is the real deal.

My concern wasn’t that he would not get the role. My concern was whether the role was good enough for him, because he is so exceptional that he can get roles that other people can only dream about. And the reason he can get those roles is because he is the real deal. He has deep technical expertise. He cares about his teams to the point that they follow him for years and years, even after they end up working for different organizations. He thinks deeply. He consistently invests in himself. He has been our beloved client for years, and we have had the privilege to work with him many times.

Tom and the mystery client I mentioned are the role models who, if you emulate them, you will go very far in life. Don’t stop investing in yourself even when you think you are too senior to bother. If you are not growing, you are degrading. As horrible as that word is, it is true.

As of this moment, I am personally a part of multiple coaching and training programs in various fields. Never in our direct field because all our work is original thinking, but in adjacent fields where I can get knowledge, assimilate, and bring it back to our clients. I never stop learning. I learn multiple hours per day, 7 days a week. With no holidays, no vacations. No holidays and no vacations is my personal choice, and I could still do a lot even if I were taking a day or two off each week. But the bottom line is, hard, deliberate work, consistent investment in yourself and in your team, is what it takes to be an exceptional leader.

Michael, an incredibly intelligent and talented business person, as you well know, is learning multiple hours a day, too. Not in our field, as again we focus on original thinking in our work, it is our art. But in other fields such as geopolitics, history, war strategy, how countries compete, cooking, customs of various countries, and more.

He spends days attending meetings with US military generals and hours talking to partners from major private equity and consulting firms. I think he would have made an outstanding president if that was his passion, but we are very fortunate that he decided to dedicate a lot of his time to advancing the field of management consulting and business management.

And the key to know about becoming a leader like this is that just reading a book they wrote is not enough. It is a good start, but it is not enough. You need to find a way to pick up their “code,” so to speak. Think of yourself as an algorithm. They are an algorithm, too. You want to pick up some of their “code.” And that “code” will often not be shared explicitly, but you will pick it up if you listen to them enough, especially if you get to talk to them, such as within an executive coaching environment.

That is where 70% of the value comes for executive coaching clients when they work with us, not from specific information but from assimilating the “code” by osmosis. You pick up some of it from being an Insider or Legacy member and going deep into various programs. Spending hundreds of hours while commuting, working out, doing errands. Listening and watching. You may not realize it, but you are assimilating the “code” that you can’t possibly pick up from just reading a book. And promotion decisions at more senior levels are often made in a second. When you do something impressive in a moment. And picking up this "code" is one of the things that allows you to do an impressive thing in a moment.

If you want to start picking up the “code” of an exceptional, highly in-demand leader that any organization will be lucky to have, join as an Insider or Legacy member and plan to apply for executive coaching when the time feels right. But don’t delay.

And don’t see it as an expense. See it as an investment in yourself and expect yourself to deliver ROI. This is how I manage all my investments in training, which for some programs are much higher than any programs we offer, such as up to 6 figures for just 1 program (where a lot less is offered than what we offer in our executive coaching programs). So don’t delay investing in yourself. Nothing can give you a higher ROI.

It takes focus and humility to:
- Keep learning when you are a relatively successful leader.
- To question your own assumptions when there is a team of yes men and women looking up at you and treating you as superior (at least to your face).
- To grow into the person who can handle more, aim higher, and have a higher capacity for creating value for yourself, your organization, and your clients.
- To become a person who is making decisions others can’t make because they don’t have your level of business judgment and critical thinking abilities. And you have it not because it was bestowed on you, but because you invested dedicated time over the years and continue to build your skill set.

If you’ve been waiting for the right moment, this is it.
Start today.

Build capability that stays with you for life, just like these leaders did. If they could do it, so can you.

And remember, when you grow this way, you don’t just move up.
You take others up with you. Just like the two leaders I spoke about today.
And that becomes part of your legacy.

And in this life, you can’t do something good and get nothing in return. It will likely not return from the same person, but it will return. From every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. It is a law of physics, one of the three fundamental laws of physics.

So join Insider or Legacy using a link below:

www.StrategyTraining.com

And I look forward to hopefully reading a message like that from you a few months or a few years down the road.

Kristina Safarova

in 🔶 general

October 13

New This Week On StrategyTraining.com

The best leaders today do more than manage. They bring clarity and certainty when others are uncertain. They focus teams, challenge assumptions, and drive progress with discipline.

This week’s releases are built around that same mindset. You’ll find practical programs that help you make better decisions, build stronger client relationships, and lead conversations to make meaningful progress.

As you go through the resources, ask one question: What is the root problem this helps me solve? The answer will reveal how each idea connects to your own growth and long-term goals.

Now let's look at all the new resources available for members this week:

For Strategy Control Room Advanced Members

Beyond AI: Where Technology Is Heading – Part 3 of TBD

AI and digital technologies are reshaping asset-heavy industries, shifting the focus from physical capital to data-driven strategies. With examples like John Deere, Tesla, and Cruise, this latest SCRA update from the Center of Excellence shows how innovations such as statistical maps and AI systems are transforming industry standards, driving sustainability, and underscoring the need for digital adoption to stay competitive.

For Insider Members

These new training episodes were released this week.

The Hidden Cost of Easy Answers - Episode 1 of 3
This program is designed to counteract the profound erosion of identity and cognitive skills caused by the pervasive overload of information and the documented brain-dulling effects of Artificial Intelligence, which can leave individuals feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, and with weakened critical thinking skills.
Episode title: The slow forgetting

Building a Consulting Practice. Level II – Episode 12 of TBD
Level II moves beyond the fundamentals of establishing or rebuilding a consulting business to focus on the advanced discipline of turning everyday engagements into engines of sustained growth.

Through real-world examples, including an operations strategy project that evolved into an entirely new consulting practice, you’ll learn how to:

- Redirect client discussions from transactional tasks toward high-value, strategic issues.
- Identify opportunities even when no obvious “problem” is on the table.
- Position yourself as a trusted advisor where your input is taken into account for critical decisions.

Follow how strategic thinking can be applied in operational contexts, discussions can be triangulated toward your strengths, and growth can be designed to outlast any single engagement. Together with Level I and programs such as Partnership Memoir, Rebuilding a Consulting Practice, and How to Sell >$10MM Consulting Studies. The Andrew Program, this series offers a powerful roadmap for building a resilient, high-impact consulting practice.
Episode title: The proposal. Implementation delays

The Bill Matassoni Show, Season 3 (Part 2 - Nicholas Gertler) – Episode 7 of 15
In this episode, Bill Matassoni engages in a deep strategic dialogue with Nicholas Gertler, a former McKinsey colleague, on how to redesign systems to create value for all stakeholders. Moving beyond traditional advertising and sales approaches, they explore the role of storytelling and influence as levers to reshape industries, organizations, and relationships.

Filmed at the iconic Philip Johnson Glass House, the conversation challenges leaders to reconsider how value is defined, created, and sustained, and how their own work can drive meaningful, long-term change. The series, now followed by senior leaders and executives from major organizations, offers practical tools to broaden perspective and uncover opportunities often missed by others.
Episode title: Aligning stakeholder interests

For Legacy Members

Legacy members gain access to all Insider content, plus these exclusive episodes:

How to Make Tough Personal Decisions - Episode 2 of 8
What happens when one life-changing decision collides with your other responsibilities? In this program, Michael unpacks a client’s dilemma, three prestigious career paths, and reveals the lens you can use before making choices that shape both your life and theirs.
Episode title: First 2 of the 2-3-3 Lens

Landing a Signature Consulting Sale - Episode 3 of 5
When building client relationships, are you treating every engagement the same, or are you thinking like a strategist, choosing battles that open the door to far greater opportunities? This program reveals how a single well-placed move can reshape your entire sales strategy.
Episode title: Enduring sales come from pattern recognition

Earning a Seat in the Core Group - Episode 3 of 4
Many professionals focus on how to get into the inner circle of decision-makers. But the real question is... what will you do once you’re there, especially if your goals don’t align with the company’s priorities?
Episode title: Where does this take your career?

Insiders can upgrade to Legacy at any time and revert to Insider without losing Insider status.

To upgrade: While logged in, select any Legacy program and follow the upgrade prompt.

To return to Insider: Email team@firmsconsulting.com, and we will restore your Insider status, provided there are no gaps in your subscription or gaps are covered.

Legacy Member Q&A — Tailored Partner Feedback
Legacy members may submit one personal or professional question twice per month. A partner will respond with a custom recorded answer.

Submission deadlines: 15th and 30th of each month

Format: One paragraph emailed to team@firmsconsulting.com

Include: Relevant context and details so we can provide precise, actionable guidance

Subject line: Legacy Question

Strategy Skills Podcast (ranked among the top 5–10 career podcasts in many countries for over 10 years)
These episodes are now available on iTunes, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms.

Father of the Cable Modem Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard on Innovation and the Global Broadband Transformation - with Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard

Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard, founder of LANcity, author of The Accidental Network, and known as the “father of the cable modem”, shares the story of how broadband was built and the lessons it offers for today’s leaders navigating AI and emerging technologies.

At the start of his career, Yassini-Fard envisioned carrying “voice, data and video… over one cable instead of two” at a time when few believed homes would ever need to be connected. Over nine years, with just 13 employees and seven consultants, he built a working product, proved its reliability, and persuaded the cable industry to adopt it. By 1996, his team had driven device costs from $8,000 down to under $300 and helped create DOCSIS, the global broadband standard, released royalty-free to speed adoption.

Key insights include:

Prototype before scale: Capital is wasted without demonstrable performance in real environments.
Treat infrastructure as strategy: Broadband enabled Silicon Valley, Netflix, telehealth, and remote work; leaders must model today’s energy, compute, and connectivity constraints when sizing AI opportunities.
Open standards matter: Royalty-free interoperability can turn a niche idea into an industry platform.
Anchor to customer economics: Early users became advocates because the modem delivered day-to-day value.

Looking forward, Yassini-Fard stresses that AI and robotics will stall without addressing power and infrastructure. He highlights quantum computing and network management as the next frontiers.

Listen to the episode here (you can also watch or read the transcript).

How to Build Brands That Dominate - with Laura Ries

Laura Ries, globally recognized marketing strategist and author of The Strategic Enemy, outlines a category-first approach to brand building. She is also the daughter of Al Ries, who co-wrote the seminal book "Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind," which shaped modern marketing thinking. After starting her career at an advertising agency, Laura joined her father’s firm, becoming his apprentice and later partner, working with top brands worldwide and advancing the field of positioning and brand strategy.

As she explains, “while people talk in brands, they really think in categories. The category is king.” Her core message: focus, contrast, and clarity determine whether a brand leads or disappears.

The conversation emphasizes when to launch a new brand name rather than extend an old one and how what Laura calls “visual hammers” turn a positioning into dominance. She draws on vivid examples: Kodak’s misstep in naming its first digital cameras, Toyota’s use of Lexus to enter the luxury market, Subaru’s turnaround through all-wheel-drive focus, and Target’s positioning as “cheap chic” against Walmart.

Key takeaways for leaders include:

Define and own a category. “The power is in owning a singular idea, and the even more powerful thing is to dominate and own a category.”
Choose a strategic enemy. As Ries argues, “the mind understands opposition faster than superiority.” Standing against something clarifies what you stand for.
Use new names for new categories. Legacy names can trap perception in the old category.
Deploy the visual hammer. A simple, memorable image or symbol cements positioning more powerfully than words alone.
Keep the message simple and repeat it. Brands like BMW (“The Ultimate Driving Machine”) and Chick-fil-A (“Eat More Chicken”) succeeded through decades of repetition, not campaign churn.
Invest in leadership visibility. Well-known figures, from Anna Wintour at Vogue to Elon Musk at Tesla, can embody and amplify brand positioning.
Treat AI as a tool, not a substitute. Ries uses it for research synthesis but insists, “there’s a great human element that is still incredibly valuable.

Listen to the episode here (you can also watch or read the transcript).

Former CEO of Jamba Juice on Leading with Culture - with James D. White

James D. White, former CEO of Jamba Juice, current board chair of The Honest Company, and coauthor of Culture Design, shares how culture becomes a management discipline rather than a slogan. Drawing on his eight-year turnaround of Jamba and service on more than 15 boards, he shares how listening, rituals, and disciplined systems embed values into sustained performance.

Key takeaways:

Start with stakeholder listening. White began his turnaround with nearly 200 “start, stop, continue” inputs across employees, suppliers, and board members. “I always start by listening,” he says, because the people inside the company “actually know what’s required to make the company run better.”
Make culture intentional. “Companies have culture by design or default.” Define what matters, create rituals that reinforce it, and remove practices that contradict stated values.
Reduce the say–do gap. “The really important things from a leadership perspective are what we say versus what we do, and minimizing the say–do gap.” Simple rituals (forums, recognition, measurement) align words with actions.
Invest in people individually. “People don’t care how much you know until they understand how much you care about them personally.” One-on-ones and role design that lean into strengths unlock discretionary effort.
Demand transparency. “I want bad news first.” Candor allows leaders to respond before problems multiply.
From anonymous feedback channels to departmental listening sessions, operating processes must “make it easier for our stores to deliver great products in the most efficient fashion.”
Balance preservation and change. Protect what works (“fantastic products” and passionate employees) while reallocating resources. One example was adding steel-cut oatmeal for colder markets, paired with smoothies.
Measure what matters. “Anything that matters, you always measure it.” White combines Gallup Q12 surveys, pulse checks, and qualitative indicators like recognition letters to monitor engagement.
Clarify board vs. CEO roles. “The CEO is responsible for running the company… the board chair is a facilitator of the collective board.” A strong chair-CEO relationship unburdens management while channeling board expertise.
Exit with care. Not every role fits every person: “You often… get to a place where you free up people’s future to go do something else. You do it with kindness and grace and thoughtfulness.”

Listen to the episode here (you can also watch or read the transcript).

Kristina Safarova

in 🔶 general

October 05

New Releases on StrategyTraining.com

The most effective leaders today deliver results by setting a clear direction, building trust, and taking disciplined action. With demands on executives growing, success relies on applying effective and uncommon frameworks for growth, influence, and team performance.

This week's releases introduce practical tools for commercial and personal decision-making, drawing on fresh case examples from industry, client development, and leadership transitions. You will find proven methods for elevating key conversations, reframing challenges, and securing lasting impact in both team and client settings.

Clients, boards, and colleagues expect more than technical expertise. They look for advisors who can clearly define issues, challenge assumptions, and focus teams on meaningful outcomes. Our new programs are built to help you prioritize, communicate with impact, and maintain discipline under pressure.

As you review these resources, consider how each framework or lesson applies to your immediate priorities and long-term objectives. Consistent use of structured thinking and clear communication remains the foundation for sustainable success.

Now let's look at all the new resources available for members:

For Strategy Control Room Advanced Members

Beyond AI: Where Technology Is Heading – Part 2 of TBD

AI and digital technologies are reshaping asset-heavy industries, shifting the focus from physical capital to data-driven strategies. With examples like John Deere, Tesla, and Cruise, this latest SCRA update from the Center of Excellence shows how innovations such as statistical maps and AI systems are transforming industry standards, driving sustainability, and underscoring the need for digital adoption to stay competitive.

For Insider Members

These new training episodes were released this week.

Reprogramming the Need for Approval - Episode 1
In this program, Kris Safarova addresses one of the most damaging patterns holding professionals back: the relentless need for external validation. She explains why the recognition you receive will never be enough, how early experiences create this dependence, and most importantly, how to reprogram yourself to operate from an internal center of control. You will walk away with a disciplined framework to replace the drain of seeking approval with the clarity, confidence, and authority required to lead and perform effectively.
Episode title: Episode 1

Building a Consulting Practice. Level II – Episode 11 of TBD
Level II moves beyond the fundamentals of establishing or rebuilding a consulting business to focus on the advanced discipline of turning everyday engagements into engines of sustained growth.

Through real-world examples, including an operations strategy project that evolved into an entirely new consulting practice, you’ll learn how to:

- Redirect client discussions from transactional tasks toward high-value, strategic issues.
- Identify opportunities even when no obvious “problem” is on the table.
- Position yourself as a trusted advisor where your input is taken into account for critical decisions.

Follow how strategic thinking can be applied in operational contexts, discussions can be triangulated toward your strengths, and growth can be designed to outlast any single engagement. Together with Level I and programs such as Partnership Memoir, Rebuilding a Consulting Practice, and How to Sell >$10MM Consulting Studies. The Andrew Program, this series offers a powerful roadmap for building a resilient, high-impact consulting practice.
Episode title: The Proposal. The Approach Section

The Bill Matassoni Show, Season 3 (Part 2 - Nicholas Gertler) – Episode 6 of 15
In this episode, Bill Matassoni engages in a deep strategic dialogue with Nicholas Gertler, a former McKinsey colleague, on how to redesign systems to create value for all stakeholders. Moving beyond traditional advertising and sales approaches, they explore the role of storytelling and influence as levers to reshape industries, organizations, and relationships.

Filmed at the iconic Philip Johnson Glass House, the conversation challenges leaders to reconsider how value is defined, created, and sustained, and how their own work can drive meaningful, long-term change. The series, now followed by senior leaders and executives from major organizations, offers practical tools to broaden perspective and uncover opportunities often missed by others.
Episode title: Focusing on Lasting Impact

For Legacy Members

Legacy members gain access to all Insider content, plus these exclusive episodes:

How to Make Tough Personal Decisions - Episode 1 of 8
What happens when one life-changing decision collides with your other responsibilities? In this program, Michael unpacks a client’s dilemma, three prestigious career paths, and reveals the lens you can use before making choices that shape both your life and theirs.
Episode title: An extremely challenging situation that MUST be reframed

Landing a Signature Consulting Sale - Episode 2 of 5
When building client relationships, are you treating every engagement the same, or are you thinking like a strategist, choosing battles that open the door to far greater opportunities? This program reveals how a single well-placed move can reshape your entire sales strategy.
Episode title: The lensing problem. What is your lens?

Earning a Seat in the Core Group - Episode 3 of 4
Many professionals focus on how to get into the inner circle of decision-makers. But the real question is... what will you do once you’re there, especially if your goals don’t align with the company’s priorities?
Episode title: Where does this take your career?

Insiders can upgrade to Legacy at any time and revert to Insider without losing Insider status.

To upgrade: While logged in, select any Legacy program and follow the upgrade prompt.

To return to Insider: Email team@firmsconsulting.com, and we will restore your Insider status, provided there are no gaps in your subscription or gaps are covered.

Legacy Member Q&A — Tailored Partner Feedback
Legacy members may submit one personal or professional question twice per month. A partner will respond with a custom recorded answer.

Submission deadlines: 15th and 30th of each month

Format: One paragraph emailed to team@firmsconsulting.com

Include: Relevant context and details so we can provide precise, actionable guidance

Subject line: Legacy Question

Strategy Skills Podcast (ranked among the top 5–10 career podcasts in many countries for over 10 years)
These episodes are now available on iTunes, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms.

Former Goldman Sachs Executive, Erin Coupe, on Rituals for Success, Meditation, and Self-Leadership - with Erin Coupe

Former Goldman Sachs executive Erin Coupe shares how she transformed her life and career by replacing routines with rituals, practicing meditation, and stepping into self-leadership.

In this episode of the Strategy Skills Podcast, Kris Safarova and Erin dive deep into practical lessons for entrepreneurs, consultants, and online business owners who want more clarity, energy, and independence.

Based on her book, I Can Fit That In: How Rituals Transform Your Life, Erin explains how to:

Build rituals that fuel focus, creativity, and business growth.
Use meditation to calm your mind and access deeper ideas.
Lead yourself first — so you can lead teams, clients, and businesses better.
Align achievement with values to avoid burnout and emptiness.
See AI not just as a tool for efficiency, but as a partner in self-discovery.

This conversation is perfect for online business owners, consultants, authors, and executives building a life and career on their own terms.

Listen to the episode here (you can also watch or read the transcript).

ESSEC Business School Professor on How Geopolitics Shapes Corporate Strategy - with Srividya Jandhyala

Srividya Jandhyala, professor of management at ESSEC Business School and author of The Great Disruption, offers a clear framework for how geopolitics is reshaping corporate strategy.

She explains why geopolitics now sits inside business decisions rather than adjacent to them. Corporate choices create externalities that trigger responses from states and nonmarket actors. For example, decisions around semiconductors illustrate how commercial moves collide with concerns about national security and dependence in key markets. The implication is that access, permissions, and standards increasingly compete with price and product as decisive variables.

“The fundamental idea, ‘Where are you from?’ the nationality of the company is the defining feature of the type of reactions you face from all stakeholders, not just governments, but also customers, suppliers, and clients”.

Jandhyala distills four structural foundations every multinational should monitor:

Market access — Where tariffs, export controls, or rivalries may close doors.
Level playing field — Corporate nationality can tilt the advantage or disadvantage against competitors.
Investment security — Whether assets, workforce, and property rights will be safe, and returns can be repatriated.
Institutional alignment — The “USB vs. power plug” analogy: some systems work seamlessly, while others clash. Geopolitics is increasingly a contest of standards.

Practical Takeaways
Build a repeatable discipline. Go beyond headline news by scanning developments, personalizing them to the firm’s footprint, planning responses, and pivoting as conditions change.

Map exposure by corporate nationality. Quantify where origin shapes market permissions, customer sentiment, or partner constraints.

Treat corporate diplomacy as a core capability. Relationship-building with governments and stakeholders now consumes significant CEO time, creating both opportunities and trade-offs.

For CEOs: View geopolitical flux as a field for advantage, not just risk. “Be imaginative about how you can exploit your corporate nationality, your position in the value chain, and your global market presence.”

For middle managers: Expect new roles and metrics; government engagement, redundancy planning, and cross-functional information brokering are becoming central.

Use the right cognitive frame. Executives must decide explicitly whether and where geopolitics deserves share of mind, recognizing that equally astute observers may reach different conclusions.

Geopolitics is now part of the operating environment. Companies that treat it as not important enough will miss risks and opportunities. Those that build structural awareness and corporate diplomacy into strategy will be better positioned to compete when “permissions, politics, and standards” define the terms of play.

Listen to the episode here (you can also watch or read the transcript).

The Four Pillars of Elite Teams - with Colin M. Fisher

Dr. Colin Fisher, an Associate Professor of Organizations and Innovation at University College London's School of Management, deconstructs high-performing teams using decades of organizational research and field-tested frameworks. If you lead, manage, or influence teams, the insights here can recalibrate how you build and guide collaboration.

We explore four foundational elements (Composition, Goals, Tasks, and Norms) and dismantle prevalent myths that often derail even experienced leaders.

Key insights include:

Composition: A team’s effectiveness begins with clarity. In a landmark study, only 7% of top management teams agreed on how many people were actually on their team. “We can’t compose the team thoughtfully unless we agree on who’s in the team in the first place.” The ideal team size? 4.5 people. Why? It balances task performance and member satisfaction, minimizing coordination cost while maximizing cohesion.

Goals: Most teams fall apart not because of conflict, but because “members don’t share the same understanding of what the group’s goals are.” Dr. Fisher emphasizes that goals must be clear, challenging, and consequential, repeated often, and refined constantly.

Tasks: Don’t assign group work to solo tasks. Effective team tasks must require interdependence and diverse expertise. Leaders must provide “clear goals but autonomy over process.” Micromanagement erodes both accountability and innovation.

Norms: Often invisible yet decisive. Norms around psychological safety and information sharing distinguish resilient teams from dysfunctional ones. Without them, even the most capable groups collapse under miscommunication or fear of speaking up.

The secret sauce to leading well is sustained attention to the basics. Effective leaders are not mystical intuitives but methodical questioners and attentive listeners.

If you care about sustainable performance and intelligent team design, this conversation can be very helpful.

Listen to the episode here (you can also watch or read the transcript).

Kristina Safarova

in 🔶 general

September 21

Are you stuck in Roosevelt’s gray twilight?

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

― Theodore Roosevelt

Roosevelt once spoke about the “gray twilight”: a safe middle where people neither truly win nor lose.

Most careers end up there. The résumé looks good. The salary is similar to that of some of your more successful former classmates. But underneath, you know you’re not really daring greatly.

You’re managing.

You’re editing slides at 9 pm for someone else to make the decisions.

You’re giving clients what they asked for, not what they need, because you feel it is risky or too much work.

And the danger is living in gray twilight for decades, mistaking it for progress.

Part 1. What Gray Twilight Looks Like in a Typical Career

Gray twilight doesn’t feel like stagnation from outside. It feels respectable. Promotions come from time to time. Bonuses arrive. Your LinkedIn profile looks good. You even get recruiters reaching out from time to time to see if you want to join a smaller organization to get a bigger title.

But if you’re honest with yourself, you measure weeks and years by hours billed or salary and bonuses earned, not impact created.

You’re reliable but rarely, or never, original.

You feel uneasy about risk, so you choose projects that maintain your reputation rather than stretch you and allow you to try to create outsized value. Yes, you may fail. But what if you succeed?

This is why gray twilight is seductive: it looks like success on the outside, but inside it feels like a failure. Dostoevsky said the worst suffering is not pain, but meaninglessness.

I know this gray twilight well. When I started my business career, I was earning $500 a month, staying late to edit documents for someone else’s meeting. It looked respectable from the outside, but inside, I knew I was hiding in safe work, not growing. That realization pushed me onto a path that eventually led me into management consulting, and later into a top MBA school in Canada, banking, another major consulting firm, and ultimately to building StrategyTraining.com. I’ve lived the danger of twilight, mistaking movement (promotions, bonuses, awards, titles) for progress.

Part 2. Why Smart Professionals Stay There

I heard a story of an elite golfer who described replaying his worst shots over and over until his body no longer flinched. That’s how he believed he grew. Most professionals do the opposite. They avoid the possibility of failure. And they certainly try to avoid reliving it.

And avoidance is addictive. Not the terrible addictions we worry about will afflict our family members, but more subtle ones:

- The addiction to external validation.

- The addiction to safe career moves.

- The addiction to being seen as competent and therefore being afraid to do anything where you may appear as a beginner (and by default as not competent).

These are harder to break because they are almost invisible to people around us. Therefore, it is up to us to identify them as problems and take action. And what makes it harder to pay attention to them is that they are socially rewarded.

One subtle way twilight keeps professionals stuck is silence. They have good ideas and insights, but those ideas and insights never leave their laptops, or even their heads. They never publish, so they never can get feedback, contribute, and improve their thought leadership ability. I saw this countless times in consulting: the introverted person in the corner who had the right insight, but no one ever heard it. That’s why we run the Author Program (below). It forces you to put your thinking into print: your name, your ideas, your credibility.

Part 3. The Real Cost of Gray Twilight

So what is the real cost of being in the gray twilight?

Ten years of ‘experience’ that is really just one year repeated ten times.

A gradual erosion of your competitive advantage and skill set, as braver peers start to pass you.

A continuous loss of energy as you get older.

You are succeeding on paper, but you know you’re not doing well.

Frankl found that in the camps, survival was about having purpose. Without purpose, gray twilight corrodes you until your identity itself starts to blur.

Part 4. Practical Exits from Gray Twilight

The way out of this is not making reckless decisions, of course, but making well-thought-out, intelligent decisions and taking action.

Face discomfort directly. In cold-water training, for example, it is recommended to focus on the cold instead of wishing you were warm. You can do the same in your career. Focus your attention on discomfort, and it starts to lose some of its grip on you.

Expose attachments. Ask yourself: what am I most afraid to risk? My reputation? My image of competence? My stable role? My salary? My ability to get better roles because of my current position? These attachments also lose their grip on you once you make them visible to yourself. Basically, flash a light at them, and they lose some of their grip on you.

Micro-risks and new actions recalibrate the system. A baseball player with the “yips” can be retrained by practicing in low-stakes settings first. You can do this too. Share the unpolished idea in a client meeting where you have a long-standing relationship with the client and can afford to be less formal and perfect at times. Write an article or a chapter (you can join our co-authored project, see the noteworthy highlight above) sharing your approach, even if it feels scary and you have never published anything before. These are not reckless actions. They are recalibrations. You start taking different actions, and you will start getting different results.

Change your scorecard. Olympic athletes often talk about mastery, not medals. What if your scorecard was not titles, promotions, bonuses, or awards but mastery in your field? Or, perhaps, courage to pursue mastery?

Anchor in meaning. As many of you know, I spent many years living, working, and studying in South Africa. I even used to be a South African permanent resident. And the biggest hero in that country is, of course, Nelson Mandela. Mandela endured 27 years in prison without bitterness because, for him, from what we know, his cause was larger than his suffering. And when he came out, he didn’t seek revenge. If your work is only about the next role, gray twilight will pull you back. If it’s tied to something bigger, discomfort and even suffering can strengthen you.

Part 5. The Arena Lens

When you face the next decision, apply these three questions:

- What is the upside if I try?

- What is the downside if I fail? Will I be able to handle it?

- What is the hidden cost if I don’t do it?

That third question often reveals things you may otherwise miss. The hidden cost of staying safe, staying in gray twilight, may be far greater than the visible cost of failing.

Final Words

Roosevelt said the credit belongs to the one in the arena, not the critic.

In a career, I don’t think the arena is only your company. I think it's also about the inner space where you confront fear, take calculated and intelligent risks, face discomfort, learn, apply, and risk falling short in order to grow and break out of your orbit.

Gray twilight feels safe. But it is a silent decline. It is a degradation. You can't stay still; you are either growing or going backward.

So this week, pick one place where you’ve been playing it safe. Consider applying the new lens. Step into the arena.

Your life will pass whether you do something with it or not. To me, the greater danger is not losing. The greater danger is never daring greatly.

P.S. Gray twilight may look respectable from the outside, but the arena is where growth happens. If you’re ready to step into the arena, start as an Insider or Legacy member at StrategyTraining.com. Build the foundation, see the lift in your compensation, and when you’re ready for deeper work with us, apply to work with Michael and me directly. And if you’re not sure where to begin, email team@firmsconsulting.com and we’ll point you to the resources that can shift your career and life trajectory.

Kristina Safarova

in 🔶 general

September 21

$100,000 H-1B changes

It’s never been easy to build a life and career as an immigrant. As someone who has immigrated three times, I’ve seen firsthand how challenging, uncertain, and ultimately rewarding this journey can be. Like many who read this, I had to navigate complex bureaucracies, start from scratch in new countries 3 times, and learn how to succeed in cultures where no safety net waited for me (no parents, no relatives, no government support). It was always harder for me than for locals: my Russian classical piano training wasn’t recognized in Western databases, I faced discrimination as an immigrant, and securing a job involved significant barriers.

Today, the window is narrowing. Countries everywhere are tightening rules, delaying applications, raising costs, and closing immigration pathways. In the U.S., a new proposal would force companies to pay $100,000 to sponsor a single H-1B applicant. The pendulum is swinging toward tougher immigration policies worldwide, and the United States is no exception.

Employer-backed immigration is becoming harder to secure, and future pathways will be fewer, tougher, and more expensive for a while. Waiting for things to “normalize” is not a good plan because generally, when the pendulum swings the other way, it takes some time before it will swing back.

That’s why we’ve guided professionals through an alternative path: the EB-1A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability). Unlike the H-1B, it doesn’t depend on luck, lotteries, or employers. It’s a merit-based process that puts you in control. As part of this effort, we launched an accompanying EB1A coaching program designed for those willing to strategically build their achievements and professional narrative to qualify, with our guidance and support, of course. However, we had clients secure permanent residence in the United States just by following the guidance we shared in an Insider program available to all Insider and Legacy members: USA Green card: Leaving her H1B - Lisa's 1.4 yr Journey. Below is feedback from one of such members.

Our clients’ results speak for themselves.

Unlike H-1B, EB-1A lets you take control. You don't need an employer. You don't need to win a lottery. It is merit-based, and up to you to work hard and smart to qualify.

We worked with many of our clients to identify the best plan of action to secure specific achievements to qualify, mapped their personalized “critical path,” guided them through it, and helped them secure permanent residence. What I love about this process is that you’re not just working toward a green card, but actively accelerating your career, building your resume, skillset, and recognition along the way.

We don’t know exactly what’s next.
We don’t know which policies will pass, which doors will close next, or how long the current pathways will remain open.

But we do know that the window is closing.

We’ve seen work permits for spouses threatened, green card cases delayed, and the U.S. raise denial rates to 1 in 4 initial H-1B applications; similar patterns are now appearing in Canada, the UK, Australia, and Europe.

And for many, what was “possible” is now on the verge of being completely inaccessible.

If you want to secure your ability to live, work, and make independent decisions in this extraordinary country, now is the time to take this seriously. We’ve guided clients through the uncertain years, helped them position (and create) the needed achievements, and watched them go from “I’m not extraordinary” to EB-1A approval, career acceleration, and lasting security for their families.

Of course, no one can guarantee an EB-1A approval. That decision always rests with U.S. immigration authorities. What makes our work different is that we don’t focus on documentation. That’s the easy part, and lawyers can handle it. We focus on the harder, more strategic work: identifying which EB-1A criteria you can realistically pursue, then mapping out a critical path of achievements and guiding you through both the planning and execution. By helping you do the right things in the right order, we significantly increase your chances of success.

Here’s what we offer:

In-depth 1-on-1 sessions with you within a small group environment on every call. We identify exactly which EB-1A criteria make sense to focus on, given your unique education, background, interests, and network. From there, we design a clear milestone roadmap and guide you step-by-step, focusing on meaningful career achievements you can benefit from well beyond securing EB-1A. This also includes practical support such as iterative resume rewrites, article writing and publishing, personal branding, and, importantly, navigating recommendation letters. Who you ask, how you ask, and what is said in those letters can make a significant difference, and we guide you through those nuances. All steps are designed not just for immigration but also for career growth.

No need to live in the U.S. now: You can apply from abroad, building your career while preparing for your application.

Most clients initially do not qualify. A part of the program is to show you how to become eligible by doing real, impactful work that strengthens your career, reputation, and application.

If you want to take the next step:

Apply for our 1-year executive coaching program where, if it is a good fit, we’ll work with you personally to create a clear path to maximize your chances for success.

Email us at team@firmsconsulting.com with your background, goals, and resume to learn if we’re a mutual fit.

My advice as an immigrant and someone who cares about your future: don’t wait for “when things settle down.” In today’s world, “later” may simply not exist.

P.S. You can also join our Published Author program, write your own article or book chapter, and strengthen your professional brand while potentially meeting EB-1A criteria (Executive or Lite levels of the program).

P.P.S. If applying for coaching feels premature, you can still begin preparing. Our Insider and Legacy memberships on StrategyTraining.com include access to the same advanced strategy, consulting, and leadership training trusted by top firms worldwide, including USA Green card: Leaving her H1B - Lisa's 1.4 yr Journey.

Kristina Safarova

in 🔶 general

September 15

Digital Transformation Consulting: 3 Challenges Leaders Underestimate

I recently spoke with a senior technology leader at a global consulting firm, let’s call him “Raj” to protect his privacy, whose observations mirror what we’re seeing across large transformation programs. We discussed the critical challenges he and his peers are facing. Below, I distill the patterns we see repeatedly in our client work and research, using Raj’s comments as an illustration.

Raj started by explaining his role, "I work with C-suite executives in my organization, as well as on my clients' side, working on transformation projects and bringing up emerging tech, understanding the client needs, the problems, etc., and then creating journeys around it."

3 key points emerged:

1) Balancing Vision and Practicality

Raj mentioned, “The biggest challenge that I feel is that there is an imbalance between the transformation that the clients or the leaders are thinking currently. Few leaders are thinking way ahead of time... On the other hand, there are leaders who are not so agile.” Inside the same executive leadership teams, we regularly see this divergence. The fix is a practical vision: an ambitious destination expressed as quarterly steps the business can absorb, plus disciplined influence and communication so leaders align on the “why,” not only the “what.”

If you want the approach we use to do this, members can find the practical-vision tools and decision cadences inside Insider (StrategyTraining.com).

2) Staying Up to Date on Rapid Technological Developments

Another significant challenge is staying current. He highlighted three skill areas: technology, transformation, and adaptability. He said, “How can I keep on evolving and learning very fast so that I do not get stagnant in the industry?” The technology wave has shifted quickly from AI to generative AI, and it will shift again. Leaders who excel in this area don’t chase every new trend reactively. Instead, they establish a simple, repeatable cycle: regularly scanning the horizon for emerging technologies, running short practical experiments, and applying a clear set of criteria to distinguish genuine business value from distractions.

A practical next step: the upcoming training inside Legacy focuses on triaging emerging technologies and converting them into proposals that can withstand CFO/COO scrutiny.

3) Dealing with Ambiguous Client Expectations

“The expectations from the client side are never clear... it is never very definite.” High-performing teams manage expectations. They document in writing what was agreed on and manage scope creep.

We teach this expectation-clarity method in our Insider and Legacy programs on StrategyTraining.com so leaders close alignment gaps early, not after timelines slip.

5-Year Vision

If all unfolds well, Raj sees himself “as the CEO… creating something disruptive, solving people’s problems, making them more comfortable in their lives.”

Action steps you can consider (this upcoming week):

Ask yourself: are you paying enough attention to these three challenges?

How does this align with the top three you prioritized?

What is your 5-year vision, and how will the next quarter get you closer to realizing that vision?

If you want the full frameworks and client-ready artifacts I referenced above, join Insider or Legacy membership and start the Transformation Essentials path (email team@firmsconsulting.com for the list of programs once you join). It’s designed for 30+ minutes a week, so you can apply while you work.

P.S. For senior leaders who want the highest-level collaboration, I’m curating a rare project with Bill Matassoni (former McKinsey & BCG senior partner) and a few senior co-authors from our community. Participation is selective. If you believe it’s a fit, reply to this email to apply, and you can learn more here.

Kristina Safarova

in 🔶 general

September 03

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Succession: Greg Abel and 7 Lessons for Leaders

Imagine the final moments of Warren Buffett’s May 3, 2025, 60th annual meeting. First of all, how many people have held 60 annual meetings for their company? Very few. So here we had the Oracle of Omaha, 94 years old, standing before about 40,000 shareholders and guests, and almost no one knew about the shocking news he was about to deliver.

All of a sudden, Buffett says, “I think the time has arrived where Greg should become the Chief Executive office of the company at year end,” and hands over the reins of an over $1 trillion organization so many admire to a man most people have never heard of.

Why did Buffett wait so long to announce his successor, and what makes Greg Abel the best choice?

And what if you could build a company with the discipline of Warren Buffett, the vision of Berkshire Hathaway, and the adaptability to survive any market (so far at least)?

Whether you’re a management consultant, a member of a strategy team, or an executive seeking partner-level impact, this story is a good example of how leadership transitions at the very top are made and how they impact strategy, culture, and the future of a major organization.

As we dissect Berkshire Hathaway’s most consequential leadership change of the century, pay attention to what you can apply to your own journey: the operational rigor, board-level executive presence, and agility that leaders like Greg Abel and Warren Buffett exemplify to all of us.

And they are not perfect, of course. Buffett's company owns a lot of insurance companies, and we all know how insurance companies treat their customers in America. They extract from clients what is, in economic terms, called rent. Meaning they extract from clients a lot more than what is fair under contract. For example, you often have to allocate many hours every week calling them and faxing them just for them to eventually reply to you to try to push one step forward, which is what they are required to do as part of the contract.

So I had to say it as a side note, for us not to think that Buffet or Greg or anyone is a perfect role model. But even if someone is not a perfect role model, we can learn from them.

So, back to our story.

THE MOMENT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

From what I can observe, Buffett’s choice was made carefully and over a multi-year period. He did give some hints in shareholder letters and interviews about who would be taking over, but many people were very surprised that it ultimately was Greg Abel.

Greg Abel is an interesting character. Not the investor's "celebrity. He is someone with operator's discipline. Reminds me of Steve Jobs' selection of his successor.

Once the announcement was made, questions poured in. Could Greg Abel fill Buffett's shoes? What does it all mean for Berkshire's future? How will shareholders be impacted?

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO BIG LEAPS

Greg Abel was born in 1962, far from Wall Street. He grew up in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada). As many of you know, I am Canadian and American, so it's very good to have someone from your homeland succeed.

His teenage years had similarities to Buffett's: they both were business-minded early in their lives. Greg was delivering flyers, collecting bottles, and even worked as a forestry laborer.

He played ice hockey, which is ordinary for a man growing up in Canada, especially in Alberta. People say he learned “you are more successful if you play as a team than as an individual” from ice hockey.

He got a scholarship from his fire extinguisher-filling job and earned an accounting degree from the University of Alberta in 1984. I was 3 years old at the time, and many of you probably were even younger, so imagine the impact we can still make (in case you are comparing your accomplishments to Greg's).

Anyway, Greg started as a chartered accountant at PwC in Edmonton. I actually also worked for PwC, Canada, which was a breath of fresh air after my stint in banking. It was an interesting learning experience to manage a portfolio of over $1 billion, but the toxic culture erodes you from the inside at record speed.

After Edmonton, he moved to San Francisco. Then he joined, before joining a little-known power producer called CalEnergy in 1992.

ASCENT AT BERKSHIRE

At CalEnergy, Greg Abel’s work ethic is what sets him apart and makes him visible. This is what we always mention, over the last 15 years of running StrategyTraining.com and FIRMSconsulting.com. And what you can see clearly from my career. You can outwork anybody. Don’t underestimate how far you can go if you just do the work, skill up consistently, seek higher levels of responsibility and compensation, invest in yourself with more diligence than you do in your retirement investments, and treat every job as if you are the owner.

Anyway, back to our story. Greg Abel quickly rose through the ranks. He led transformative deals, including acquiring MidAmerican Energy. MidAmerican Energy was noticed by Berkshire Hathaway in 2000, and they took control. Greg became an important asset for Berkshire Hathaway.

He was promoted to CEO of MidAmerican (renamed Berkshire Hathaway Energy) in 2008. Greg Abel managed utilities and renewable assets, making acquisitions like NV Energy ($5.6B in 2013) and turning Berkshire Hathaway Energy into a renewable energy leader. Under his leadership, the company grew to serve over 11 million customers and made over 10% of Berkshire’s total earnings.

Greg Abel is known for his detail-oriented approach as a leader, versus Buffett's famous hands-off delegation approach. In fact, Greg Abel is described as someone who “does more in every hour of every day than any person I’ve ever met”. He is known for asking probing questions. I am not surprised, though. Given his background in accounting, he has a very good understanding of what business needs to succeed and what will lead to failure. In fact, when I lived in South Africa, I noticed the highest chance to become very senior there, all the way up to CEO, is to have an accounting degree as your foundational training.

THE SUCCESSION GAMBLE

Most conglomerates struggle with succession. Buffett spent years grooming Greg Abel. In his last shareholder letter, Buffet wrote: “Abel has vividly shown his ability to act at such times as did Charlie”. This is, of course, drawing parallels to the late Charlie Munger.

Greg Abel is now responsible for the over $1 trillion behemoth. Shares include Apple, American Express, BNSF Railroad, and Geico. And yes, $350 billion in cash. As a result, Greg's decisions on capital allocation, risk, and innovation will shape not just Berkshire but the future of American business as a whole.

THE LEADERSHIP STYLE: HANDS-ON, HUMBLE, HIGH EXPECTATIONS

People say that Greg Abel’s leadership is “substance over style.” Colleagues describe him as intensely hard-working, humble, and very sharp. They say he is focused on team wins and avoids the spotlight.

Buffett himself mentioned (I guess joked) that Greg Abel’s more hands-on style “is working way better for Berkshire's 60-plus subsidiaries. I didn’t want to work as hard as he works”. Late Charlie Munger called Greg Abel “sensational in business, both a thinker and a doer … exceptional at getting things done smoothly through others.”

UNCERTAIN FUTURE, HIGH EXPECTATIONS

But let's remember, Greg Abel faces a tough challenge. With a lot of power comes a lot of responsibility. Will he be bold with the conglomerate’s massive cash reserves? Will he make decisions Buffett avoided? And he has to make good decisions while everyone is watching.

Buffett told shareholders, “I would leave the capital allocation to Greg, and he understands businesses extremely well”. The torch has passed, but who knows how things will unfold.

I will wrap this up with 7 lessons from Berkshire Hathaway’s succession.

1. Start Planning Early

Buffett didn’t wait until the last minute to choose who would lead after him. He started thinking and planning many years ahead. This helps everyone feel ready and not surprised when change comes.

2. Hard Work Matters More Than Being Famous

Greg Abel wasn’t a well-known star. From what we know about him, he worked really hard, learned the business, and cared about his team. That’s why Buffett trusted him. Doing your best every day is what counts most. That is something I have done throughout my career, and it really does pay off.

For example, when I immigrated the first time, and after 8 months of applying for every job I could qualify for, I finally got one, I would be the first to come and the last to leave. I would do everything I possibly could to move things forward for the business, and that was noticed, and I got promoted very fast.

I approached my undergraduate studies the same way, and despite having to translate almost every word in my first economics book, I graduated with summa cum laude, with straight As, and was the top 3 student for my economics class nationwide for that university.

I followed the same approach when I joined consulting and, as a result, got promoted 3 times in 2 years.

Then, I followed the same approach during MBA and graduated on the Dean's list, even though at the beginning it looked like that would not be possible since everyone in class was a top student with very high GMAT scores, and most people were native English speakers.

After MBA I followed the same approach in banking and got promoted to director, managing a portfolio of over 1 billion dollars in just 6 months.

And, of course, I am using the same approach in building StrategyTraining.com and FIRMSconsulting.com. And, of course, I would never have had a chance to work with Michael on building StrategyTraining.com without all the steps above.

So, treating each job like you are an owner, but not settling for what you achieved, is a phenomenal approach to basically guarantee a successful career.

3. Always Share and Explain Your Plan
Buffett wrote long letters to explain how the company works. He made sure everyone understood what he wanted and why. When leaders are open and clear, people trust them more.

4. Teaching Others Is Important
Buffett didn't just do everything himself; he taught others how to run the company. Greg Abel learned directly from Buffett. Great leaders teach and let their team grow. When I see our clients making sure their team is trained using FIRMSconsulting resources versus hoarding it only for themselves, this is when I know this leader will go far.

5. Keep Things Simple
Buffett kept the company simple. Even as the business got much bigger, he made sure the rules stayed simple to follow. Not easy but simple. Simple plans work best for most teams.

6. Respect What Worked, But Be Ready to Change
Greg Abel will probably keep doing the things that made Berkshire great, but he’ll likely also make changes when needed. It's important to balance old habits with new ideas, especially when the world changes so fast. Now, with AI and other technological changes, this is the only way to even stay in business.

7. Teamwork Is Stronger Than Going It Alone
Buffett and Greg Abel believe in working with others. Just think about the Charlie and Warren duo. Their teams make better decisions together, and people help each other. Leading with teamwork helps companies do well, even when things get tough. StrategyTraining.com and FIRMSconsulting.com would never be able to do what we are able to do without our amazing team.

Everyone can learn from how Warren Buffett and Greg Abel handled this change. Plan ahead, work hard, be honest and clear, help others learn, keep things simple, respect the past but keep learning and be ready to adapt, and always act as a team. That’s what helps leaders, and their companies, succeed for a long, long time.

For every consultant, strategy head, and executive, Greg Abel’s next moves will offer living case studies in succession and adaptability. How will a “hands-on operator” shape capital allocation, innovation, and leadership at one of the world’s great empires? We have already seen it play out with Tim Cook. And now will have front row seats to see how it will play out with Warren Buffett.

As you follow how things will unfold, think: How can you use these lessons about preparation and bold, structured leadership to get bigger mandates, strengthen your skills, build stronger teams, and lead transformation, with AI and technology as leverage?

What you’ve just read is a reminder of the kind of preparation, rigor, and clarity we all need if we want to move from solving mid-level problems to shaping the direction of entire departments or even organizations.

That’s why we built Insider, Legacy, and Strategy Control Room Advanced.

Each membership is designed to give you the discipline, frameworks, and judgment to lead at the very top of your profession.

Insider gives you the structured thinking and advanced tools to consistently win bigger mandates.

Legacy builds on that with direct access to our thinking on some of more advanced topics and the chance to stress-test your decisions with us via 2x a month opportunity to submit questions and get guaranteed input.

Strategy Control Room Advanced lets you see how partners actually shape and run entire firms, with case files, board-level analyses, full study decks, centers of excellence, private books, and war rooms you simply can’t access anywhere else.

If you’ve been learning from these emails, imagine how much more you’ll achieve with the full systems behind them.

Kristina Safarova

in 🔶 general

August 31

New Releases on StrategyTraining.com

This week’s releases focus on the issues that consistently derail teams and organizations: failed IT projects, consulting practices that stall, and leaders who execute well but never set direction. Each program distills the lessons from real engagements where the stakes were high and the margin for error was very small.

What you’ll find is tools and approaches tested in practice, frameworks that help you redirect client conversations, secure a seat at the table, and avoid the traps that cause even well-designed strategies to fail.

Here are new resources available for members:

For Strategy Control Room Advanced Members

New IT, Digital, AI, and Cloud Center-of-Excellence – Final Update (163 SLIDES).

Most IT projects fail, not because of bad technology, but because of poor thinking. This Center-of-Excellence shows you exactly why projects go off track and how to prevent it.

For Insider Members

These new training episodes were released.

Why Am I Not a Visionary - Episode 3 of 4

Even consistent execution at the highest standard can leave you stalled. This program examines the pivotal shift from being a reliable operator to becoming a leader with a clear, compelling vision. One who shapes direction rather than simply delivering on it.
Episode title: How to be visionary...if you must be

Building a Consulting Practice. Level II – Episode 9 of TBD
Level II moves beyond the fundamentals of establishing or rebuilding a consulting business to focus on the advanced discipline of turning everyday engagements into engines of sustained growth.

Through real-world examples, including an operations strategy project that evolved into an entirely new consulting practice, you’ll learn how to:

- Redirect client discussions from transactional tasks toward high-value, strategic issues.
- Identify opportunities even when no obvious “problem” is on the table.
- Position yourself as a trusted advisor with a seat at the most critical conversations.

This is consulting at its highest level, where strategic thinking is applied in operational contexts, discussions are triangulated toward your strengths, and growth is designed to outlast any single engagement. Together with Level I and programs such as Partnership Memoir, Rebuilding a Consulting Practice, and How to Sell >$10MM Consulting Studies. The Andrew Program, this series offers a complete roadmap for building a resilient, high-impact consulting practice.
Episode title: The Proposal. Background Section - I

The Bill Matassoni Show, Season 3 (Part 2 - Nicholas Gertler) – Episode 4 of 15
In this episode, Bill Matassoni engages in a deep strategic dialogue with Nicholas Gertler, a former McKinsey colleague, on how to redesign systems to create value for all stakeholders. Moving beyond traditional advertising and sales approaches, they explore the role of storytelling and influence as levers to reshape industries, organizations, and relationships.

Filmed at the iconic Philip Johnson Glass House, the conversation challenges leaders to reconsider how value is defined, created, and sustained, and how their own work can drive meaningful, long-term change. The series, now followed by senior leaders from many parts of the world, offers practical tools to broaden perspective and uncover opportunities often missed by others.
Episode title: Thin Line of Humility and Expertise

For Legacy Members

Legacy members gain access to all Insider content, plus these exclusive episodes:

What Most Product Managers Get Wrong - Episode 3 of 3
Too many product teams fixate on detailed plans and cross-functional coordination, yet overlook the single question that should precede everything else. This episode reveals the critical step that must come first, and why getting it right sets the foundation for all subsequent decisions.
Episode title: Bringing it all together

Networking to Build a New Business - Episode 1 of 1
Most advisors unknowingly leave the bulk of the value they create on the table. This program challenges you to ask: are you simply advising, or are you building a business model that lets you own the upside?
Episode title: It was, is and will forever be about the business model

Billable Hours Are the Worst Form of Wealth Creation - Episode 1 of 3
Building client trust may come easily, but keeping it, scaling it, and doing it without burning out is a different game entirely. This program asks whether you’re really building a business, or just trading time for money.
Episode title: You are in the lowest yielding wealth model

Earning a Seat in the Core Group - Episode 1 of 4
Many professionals focus on how to get into the inner circle of decision-makers. But the real question is... what will you do once you’re there, especially if your goals don’t align with the company’s priorities?
Episode title: Why work in an area being de-prioritized

Insiders can upgrade to Legacy at any time and revert to Insider without losing Insider status.

To upgrade: While logged in, select any Legacy program and follow the upgrade prompt.

To return to Insider: Email team@firmsconsulting.com, and we will restore your Insider status, provided there are no gaps in your subscription or gaps are covered.

Legacy Member Q&A — Tailored Partner Feedback
Legacy members may submit one personal or professional question twice per month. A partner will respond with a custom recorded answer.

Submission deadlines: 15th and 30th of each month

Format: One paragraph emailed to team@firmsconsulting.com

Include: Relevant context and details so we can provide precise, actionable guidance

Subject line: Legacy Question

Strategy Skills Podcast (ranked among the top 5–10 career podcasts in many countries)
These episodes are now available on iTunes, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms.

Bain Senior Partner Sarah Elk on Doing Agile Right (Strategy Skills classics) - with Sarah Elk

Sarah Elk is a Senior Partner at Bain & Company and Americas leader of their AI, Insights, and Solutions practice. She brings a clear, pragmatic lens to why so many large-scale change efforts fail to stick. Drawing on decades of advising multinational organizations, she diagnoses the structural and behavioral traps that cause transformations to stall, and shares the disciplines that make change durable.

Sarah emphasizes that transformation is not a one-off program but an enduring capability that must be “led from the top and embedded in the culture.” She cautions against outsourcing responsibility to a program office:

“If the CEO is not leading it and the leadership team isn’t engaged in the change, you might get something done, but it will erode quickly.”

Key Insights from the Conversation:

Clarity on Non-Negotiables
Many failed transformations lack a shared definition of the “non-negotiables” in the new operating model. Without them, execution becomes fragmented.
“You have to be crystal clear on what’s standard and what’s flexible.”

Outcomes Over Activity
Successful change efforts are anchored to measurable business results, not just activity metrics or generic benchmarks.
“It’s not about hitting 80 percent of a checklist. It’s about whether you’ve moved the needle on the outcomes you care about.”

Leadership Alignment Is a Continuous Process
Alignment requires ongoing dialogue, joint problem-solving, and confronting decisions that challenge entrenched interests.
“You need the leadership team acting as one, every week, every month, not just at the kickoff.”

Manage Change Fatigue
Overloading the organization erodes momentum. Sequencing initiatives and celebrating visible early wins tied to strategy helps sustain energy.
“People get tired. You have to show progress and give them space to breathe.”

Governance, Incentives, and Talent Must Evolve Together
Elk warns that without parallel changes to systems and structures, “behavior will revert to what it was before.”

The discussion reframes transformation from a high-profile event into a muscle organizations must build and maintain. For executives seeking change that endures beyond the initial push, Elk offers a blueprint grounded in operational rigor, leadership accountability, and cultural realism.

Listen to the episode here (you can also watch or read the transcript).

Former Submarine Commander L. David Marquet on How Leaders Make Better Decisions - with L. David Marquet

L. David Marquet, former nuclear submarine commander and author of Leadership Is Language, shares a precise, operational approach to leadership, one that replaces command-and-control with a language designed for clarity, ownership, and adaptability. Drawing on his experience turning the USS Santa Fe from one of the worst-performing submarines in the fleet to one of the best, David shows how seemingly small shifts in language can radically improve decision-making, learning speed, and execution.

David rejects the traditional leader–follower model in favor of a leader–leader framework, where decision rights are pushed “to the people closest to the information.” He explains how questions, statements, and the timing of communication directly shape whether teams think critically or default to compliance.

“What we say and when we say it changes what people do. Language is a leadership technology.”

Key Takeaways:

Replace Permission with Intent
Moving from “Can I…?” to “I intend to…” changes accountability and ownership:
“When people tell me what they intend to do, they’re already owning the decision.”

Protect Redwork and Bluework
David distinguishes between redwork (doing) and bluework (thinking/planning) and stresses keeping them separate:
“Mixing them degrades both. You want focused doing and focused thinking.”

Sequence for Thinking, Not Speed
Meetings often reward quick answers over thoughtful ones. Asking the most junior person to speak first helps reduce conformity bias.

Use Language to Invite Dissent
Adding uncertainty, “I’m not sure, but…,”creates psychological safety and surfaces crucial information that might otherwise stay hidden.

Leaders Design Systems, Not Just Give Answers
The leader’s job is to build communication structures that distribute thinking and enable faster adaptation in changing conditions.

This episode is practical and helpful for leaders who want to operationalize empowerment without losing control. By deliberately changing how they speak and listen, executives can create teams that are more resilient, accountable, and high-performing.

Listen to the episode here (you can also watch or read the transcript).

Stanford’s Robert E. Siegel on Navigating the Toughest Leadership Trade-Offs - with Robert E. Siegel

Robert E. Siegel, Stanford Graduate School of Business professor, venture capitalist, and former executive, shares the leadership lessons he learned working with Intel’s legendary CEO, Andy Grove, and other amazing leaders, and how to thrive in today’s era of conflicting pressures. Robert actually worked closely with Andy, including on Andy's book, "Only the Paranoid Survive."

In this in-depth conversation, we explore the concept of the systems leader, someone who can innovate while delivering results, balance global and local priorities, and combine decisiveness with humility. Drawing from his work with leading CEOs, his investing career, and his experiences in fast-moving industries, Robert explains how leaders can adapt and stay relevant, even as AI, economic shifts, and political uncertainty reshape the business world.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

How Andy Grove influenced Robert’s approach to leadership and decision-making
Why the most effective leaders do well in environments of “cross-pressures”
Practical steps for staying relevant as technology and AI transform industries
The importance of balancing execution with long-term vision
Stories from Robert’s career as an operator, investor, and Stanford professor

About Robert Siegel:

Robert is a Lecturer in Management at Stanford GSB, a venture capitalist, and a board member for multiple technology companies. His work blends academic research with real-world experience, guiding executives at the highest level.

Listen to the episode here (you can also watch or read the transcript).

Additionally, here are the recent releases on FIRMSconsulting / StrategyTraining.com / Kris Safarova YouTube Channels:

IT Strategy vs. Corporate Strategy: Microsoft - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

How to Build Consulting Storyboards in 3 Weeks (This is How McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte Do It) - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

How to Feel Comfortable on Camera - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

Management Consulting Storyboard | Storyboarding used by McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, PwC et al. - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

McKinsey’s Rise to Prominence Under Marvin Bower - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

The Systems Behind Sustained High Performance with ADHD - with Kris Safarova
Access here.

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