The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership | Critical Thinking | Problem-Solving

• 555: How a Billion-Dollar CEO Thinks and Leads (with Bill Canady)

  Your company’s next breakthrough isn’t about doing more, but doing less with purpose.   In this episode, I speak with Bill Canady, CEO of two major industrial companies (OTC Industrial Technologies and Arrowhead Engineered Products), a former U.S. Navy officer, and author of From Panic to Profit, about the operating system he’s used to turn around billion-dollar businesses and lead through uncertainty.   Bill brings a rare blend of military discipline, private equity strategy, and grounded human leadership. With more than 3,600 employees and $1.5 billion in revenue under his care, he shares what really drives growth, and why focus, not frenzy, is the secret to long-term results.   We talk about: How Bill used 80/20 thinking to stabilize a struggling company during the pandemic Why “doing everything” is the death of momentum and how to identify your critical few The real reason most teams fail to deliver (hint: it’s not effort) How AI is helping leaders focus on what matters and where human judgment still matters most Why you may need to say no to good ideas to unlock great outcomes The leadership triangle: visionary, operator, and prophet, and how to build teams that thrive   Bill also shares personal reflections on learning through failure, navigating high-stakes decisions, and how he’s applying his own advice as a continuous learner and leader of leaders.   Whether you’re in a turnaround, scaling up, or simply trying to get more focused in your business or career, this episode offers both strategic clarity and deeply practical tools for creating profitable, people-centered growth.   Bill Canady is the CEO of both OTC Industrial Technologies and Arrowhead Engineered Products (AEP). With over 30 years of experience, he specializes in driving organizational growth, cutting costs, and boosting profitability. At OTC, he led a 43% increase in revenue and an 80% rise in earnings, with annual sales now exceeding $1 billion. At AEP, he oversees more than 3,600 employees and $1.5 billion in sales. A U.S. Navy veteran, Bill holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BS in Business Administration from Elmhurst University. His Profitable Growth Operating System (PGOS) has helped countless organizations overcome challenges and seize new growth opportunities.   Get Bill’s book here: https://rb.gy/3a4mou From Panic to Profit: Uncover Value, Boost Revenue, and Grow Your Business with the 80/20 Principle   Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach   McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf   Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

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• 554: Microsoft’s Dean Carignan on Using AI to Boost Joy, Focus, and Productivity at Work

  What if the key to innovation isn’t a process, but a mindset that travels across boundaries, disciplines, and decades?   From international development to McKinsey to leading AI strategy at Microsoft, Dean Carignan has built his career at the intersection of systems, people, and impact. Now, as co-author of The Insider’s Guide to Innovation at Microsoft, he’s helping organizations rethink how real innovation happens, not just in startups or labs, but in legacy institutions and global companies.   In this episode, Dean shares lessons from two decades at Microsoft, where he’s worked across Xbox, Office, cognitive services, and AI research. He also reflects on why innovation is ultimately about people, not products, and how leaders can create space for meaningful change, even inside complex organizations.   We explore: How Dean moved from solving global problems at the World Bank to driving change inside one of the world’s largest tech companies The power of being a “boundary crosser” and why innovation happens in the in-between Why mission often outperforms money as a motivator, especially in hiring for impact The overlooked value of storytelling in innovation (and how case studies bring ideas to life) How AI is transforming not only productivity, but the very nature of scientific discovery Why learning to build with agents may be the most valuable skill of the next decade   Dean also shares practical examples of how he uses AI today, from research to writing to daily decision-making, and why “thinking about thinking” is the leadership advantage most people overlook.   Whether you're guiding a team through change, building a new product, or trying to stay ahead of the AI curve, this conversation offers a grounded, human-centered approach to innovation in a time of exponential possibility.   Dean Carignan’s career spans international economic development, startup ventures, and strategic roles in technology. He is an alumnus of Georgetown University and INSEAD, he was a charter member of McKinsey & Company's advanced technology practice.   During his 20 years at Microsoft, he has guided new businesses, including the early internet division, Xbox, and multiple Al efforts through the critical growth phases to their first billion dollars in revenue.   Most recently, Dean has focused on leading AI innovations within Microsoft Research and the Office of the Chief Scientist. His intrapreneurial spirit, deep institutional knowledge, and expansive internal network made the behind-the-scenes perspective of The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft   Get Dean’s book here: https://www.innovationatmicrosoft.com/ The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft   Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach   McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf   Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

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• 553: Founding Partner of DCM Insights on What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently

  In this episode, Kris speaks with Matthew Dixon, founding partner of DCM Insights and bestselling author, about his latest research on business development in professional services. Drawing on a global study of 3,000 partners, Dixon outlines five distinct sales profiles and highlights the “Activator” as the only approach consistently linked to higher revenue performance. Key insights: - Traditional models of client loyalty are eroding, with fewer clients returning automatically to the same firm. - Top performers distinguish themselves by proactively delivering value, leveraging internal and external networks, and consistently committing time to business development. - Effective firms drive adoption of these behaviors not through mandates, but by enabling teams with tools, mentorship, and a culture of collaboration. - Technology, including AI and network management tools, reduces the time required to execute these strategies, but success ultimately relies on human relationships and judgment. Dixon’s upcoming book, The Activator Advantage, provides a practical guide for partners and leaders seeking to future-proof client engagement strategies in a more competitive and fast-changing market.   Matthew Dixon is the Founding Partner of DCM Insights. Matthew is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review and a WSJ bestselling author, with his books translated in a dozen languages.   Get Matthew’s book here: https://rb.gy/a6ygc7 The Activator Advantage: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently   Here are some free gifts for you:   Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach   McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf   Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

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• 552: From Ditch Digger to 9-Figure CEO: Building a Business That Runs Without You

  In this episode, Kris speaks with Ken Rusk, nine-figure CEO and bestselling author of Blue Collar Cash, on building and scaling a successful business. Key insights: - True growth comes from empowering entrepreneurial employees and building autonomous teams aligned with the company’s mission and motivated to perform. - Rusk’s approach emphasizes the alignment of personal goals and corporate objectives, using a system of “timed pathways” where employees publicly commit to and pursue personal milestones, creating accountability and shared momentum. - Strategic reinvestment in marketing, reputation, and customer experience fueled steady expansion, while maintaining a clear long-term vision kept the organization resilient during challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. - His leadership philosophy centers on building decision-makers, not just making decisions, and staying focused on time as the most valuable asset, balancing business success with personal well-being, family, and purpose. - Rusk’s recent move to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) reflects his commitment to sharing long-term value and ensuring that the team that built the company benefits from its future growth. Rusk’s message is that sustainable business success stems from developing others, aligning incentives, and ensuring that leaders stay focused on the long view, both in business and in life.   Get Ken’s book here: https://www.kenrusk.com/blue-collar-cash/ Blue-Collar Cash: Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness for Life   Here are some free gifts for you:    Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach   McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf   Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

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• 551: Microsoft Director on How to Empower Anyone to Innovate

  What if the key to driving real innovation isn’t genius, but orchestration? Innovation is often seen as the domain of visionaries or tech geniuses. But in this episode, JoAnn Garbin, former Director of Innovation at Microsoft Cloud and co-author of The Insider’s Guide to Innovation at Microsoft, shows that true innovation is a craft: one grounded in discipline, collaboration, and conscious leadership. JoAnn brings a rare lens to the conversation — an engineer with a background in philosophy and performance, a systems thinker who has lived through startup exits, corporate reinvention, and a life-altering cancer diagnosis. Her approach to leadership, creativity, and risk is grounded not in theory but in lived experience.   We talk about: How real innovation happens inside complex, slow-moving organizations Why orchestration, not brilliance, is the most underrated leadership skill The critical role of community and trust in long-term innovation success How to build political capital without becoming “political” What cancer taught her about control, clarity, and letting go The mindset shift that makes innovation more accessible (and less magical)   JoAnn also shares how she navigates uncertainty with structured frameworks, how she invests in her learning every day, and why innovation, especially in an AI-powered future, must be inclusive, sustainable, and human-centered.   Whether you’re leading change, launching something new, or trying to stay relevant in a fast-shifting world, this episode will expand how you think about creativity, courage, and what it really means to build something that lasts.   JoAnn Garbin is a former Director of Innovation in Microsoft’s cloud business. She is the founder of Regenerous Labs, where she focuses on building practical solutions across industries that integrate sustainability and innovation.   Get JoAnn’s book here: https://www.innovationatmicrosoft.com/ The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft   Here are some free gifts for you:   Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach   McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf   Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo  

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