The Strategy Skills Podcast: Management Consulting | Strategy, Operations & Implementation | Critical Thinking

Mita Mallick, Wall Street Journal–bestselling author and workplace strategist, examines how everyday managerial choices determine whether organizations are resilient, humane, and productive. Drawing on her leadership roles in marketing and human resources, as well as her lived experience as a woman of color in corporate America, she reframes common leadership breakdowns as design failures that can be prevented with the right structures. As she emphasizes, “There is power in being quiet.” Used deliberately, silence becomes a tool to pause, observe, and de-escalate rather than react impulsively.   This episode delivers concrete practices senior leaders can apply now: Use silence deliberately. The “power of the pause” creates thinking space, defuses escalation, and strengthens negotiation outcomes. Leaders should model this and teach teams to signal reflection rather than defaulting to instant responses. Manage up with discipline. Mallick recommends structured, written briefings before talent reviews or boa