Management Consulting Skills for Leaders 2026 + AI

Understand what management consulting involves and the role of consultants in solving business problems (problem-solving, advisory, implementation support)

See what defines a consulting engagement as a project – its scope, timeline, phases, and deliverables – and how it differs from routine operational work.

Meet Huntsman, the client at the center of the course’s end-to-end consulting simulation. Understand the company context, business challenge, and strategic decision the team must address as the project moves from problem framing to implementation.

Overview the typical phases of a consulting project (from initial diagnosis to final recommendations) and the purpose of each phase.

Learn about additional or optional phases sometimes seen in consulting (e.g. pilot implementation, post-project audit) and when they might be included.

Learn how all the pieces come together in a consulting project – team composition, workstreams, client collaboration – to deliver results in a structured way.

Deep-dive into Phase 1 of the consulting approach – techniques to clearly define the client’s real problem (not just symptoms), set project scope, and agree on the key question.

See how the consulting team works with the Huntsman client to formulate the central question that the project must answer (focusing the problem definition).

Use Right-Question AI to reframe a vague or politically loaded business request into a decision-ready problem statement. Separate facts, assumptions, constraints, risks, and alternative explanations, then define the strategic question the team should solve before building the workplan.

Learn a framework for diagnosing client needs across four dimensions (e.g. financial, operational, customer, competitive) and two critical questions to pinpoint what the client truly requires.

Learn how to prepare for and conduct focused interviews with client stakeholders to gather qualitative insights, and why interviews are key to understanding the problem context.

Learn how to prepare effectively for a stakeholder interview: researching the interviewee, setting objectives, and drafting questions to ensure a productive discussion.

Master best practices for conducting the interview itself: building rapport, asking open-ended questions, listening actively, and probing for deeper insight.

Learn how to synthesize and document the information from interviews and share the findings with your team (and potentially the client) in a purposeful way.

Use Interview Sign-Off AI to convert issue-tree branches, hypotheses, and evidence gaps into a focused expert interview plan. Identify who to interview, why each conversation matters, the knowledge gap it should close, the best interview format, and whether the final list is ready for manager approval.

Apply the project charter to the Huntsman engagement. Define the business objective, scope, key question, stakeholders, deliverables, timeline, and decision rights needed to align the client and consulting team before detailed work begins.

Follow the Huntsman case as the team delivers some preliminary research or “early findings” to the client, and learn what level of detail and format is expected at this stage.

See how consultants craft a project proposal for the client (Huntsman): defining the proposed scope, approach, team, timeline, and fees to secure buy-in for the project.

Learn how to iterate on and improve a consulting proposal by incorporating client feedback or new information – ensuring the final proposal is compelling and aligned with client needs.

Use Brief-to-Blueprint AI to turn an RFP or project brief into a proposal blueprint. Extract the client objective, deliverables, evaluation criteria, timelines, workstreams, risks, and missing information, then create stakeholder questions, a bid/no-bid view, and a clear response structure.

Review a sample consulting proposal document (or key slides) to see a concrete example of how to present scope, methodology, team qualifications, and value proposition to a client.

Deep-dive into Phase 2 – organizing the problem into a logical structure (such as issue trees) that is MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) to ensure no aspect is overlooked.

Discover techniques for breaking a broad problem or “study” into manageable workstreams and analyses, ensuring comprehensive and logical coverage.

Turn an unstructured business problem into a MECE set of workstreams. Group related questions, remove overlap, close logical gaps, and create a structure that can guide hypotheses, analysis, ownership, and project planning.

Compare common types of logic trees and understand how each supports a different consulting task. Select the right structure for diagnosing causes, testing hypotheses, evaluating options, or breaking a complex decision into manageable questions.

Use CEO Issue-Logic AI to simplify a complex business problem into an executive-level issue map. Define the central decision, identify the essential questions, cluster them into a clear logic, and translate the structure into practical analysis modules for the consulting study.

Watch how the team and client break down Huntsman’s overarching problem into a structured set of smaller issues (creating an issue tree or similar) in a real-case context.

Examine the completed issue tree/problem structure for the Huntsman case, seeing the hierarchy of issues the team will investigate to address the key question.

Learn how the Huntsman case team decides which parts of the issue tree to prioritize (based on impact, data availability, etc.), an important step to focus their analysis effectively.

Use Issue Priority AI to turn a long list of issues, research notes, and stakeholder comments into a focused priority map. Link each issue to the decision tree, separate symptoms from root causes, identify the highest-impact branches, and define the next hypotheses and analyses.

Deep-dive into Phase 3 – how consultants develop hypotheses about the causes of the problem or the best solutions, and use these hypotheses to drive targeted analysis.

Learn methods for formulating strong, testable hypotheses (e.g. using initial data trends, industry experience, frameworks) and how to phrase hypotheses clearly to guide analysis.

See how the team in the Huntsman case brainstorms and documents specific hypotheses about what might be driving the client’s issues, setting up focused analyses for each hypothesis.

Use Branch Hypothesis AI to convert priority issue-tree branches into clear, testable hypotheses. Structure each hypothesis around what is happening, what may be causing it, and why it matters, then check whether it is specific, evidence-testable, and useful for directing analysis.

Learn how consultants use simple tools like tally sheets or structured templates to collect and summarize data during analysis (illustrated by how the Huntsman team tracks data to test their hypotheses).

Get a tutorial on issue trees (also known as logic trees): what they are, how to draw them, and how they visually map out the relationship between the overall problem and sub-issues.

Walk through the specific issue tree created for Huntsman’s problem, understanding each branch of the tree and how it relates to parts of the client’s business.

Understand how a business case converts a recommendation into decision-ready economics. Bring together value, investment, costs, risks, timing, and implementation requirements to determine whether an opportunity is worth pursuing.

Connect the problem statement, issue tree, hypotheses, analyses, findings, and recommendations into one coherent project logic. Use this chain to keep every workstream focused on the client’s key decision and prevent disconnected analysis.

Deep-dive into Phase 4 – translating the structured issues and hypotheses into a concrete workplan. Learn the components of a workplan (work streams, tasks, timelines, responsibilities) and how to build one.

See how the Huntsman project team turns the workplan into a timeline (Gantt chart or schedule), laying out when each analysis work stream will happen and key milestones for the case.

Learn step-by-step how to develop a consulting project workplan: defining work streams, sequencing tasks, assigning team members, and setting deadlines to ensure the project stays on track.

See how a detailed workplan gives consultants control over scope, quality, timing, and team coordination. Use clear tasks, owners, dependencies, milestones, and review points to reduce surprises and manage project progress effectively.

Use Timeline Logic AI to turn workstreams, tasks, dependencies, milestones, and resource constraints into a realistic project timeline. Identify sequencing risks, critical-path activities, timing assumptions, and decision points before finalizing the plan.

Use a RACI matrix to clarify who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each major project activity. Apply it to reduce role ambiguity, improve decision-making, and strengthen coordination across the consulting and client teams.

Use Governance Architect AI to design the operating model for a consulting study or cross-functional program. Define sponsors, executive forums, stream leaders, joint teams, meeting cadence, decision rights, escalation paths, and controls that protect accountability and prevent project drift.

Move beyond assigning RACI labels and translate role clarity into an operating rhythm. Define the decisions, handoffs, meetings, escalation paths, and follow-up actions required to make accountability work in day-to-day project delivery.

Review the actual workplan for the Huntsman case, seeing how tasks are organized by phase, who is responsible for what, and how it aligns with the overall project timeline.

Use Cost Lever AI to break a cost forecast into operational drivers and management levers. Separate CAPEX from OPEX, map the activities behind major cost categories, test the assumptions that matter most, and identify which levers management can influence in a business case or operating plan.

Deep-dive into Phase 5 – executing the analyses needed to test each hypothesis. Learn about managing the analysis process, data collection, and keeping analysis on hypothesis without “boiling the ocean.”

Analyze the first hypothesis (“Should the client cut prices to solve the problem?”). See how the team examines pricing data, customer response, and competitor pricing to evaluate if price reduction is a viable strategy.

Use Revenue Lever AI to decompose revenue into sources, volume drivers, pricing drivers, and management levers. Map the assumptions behind each driver, show what must happen for growth to occur, and create a stronger foundation for revenue models, pricing decisions, and market-entry cases.

Consider the hypothesis of expanding into a new region. Learn what data and factors the team analyzes (market size, competitive presence, entry costs) to determine if geographic expansion would drive growth.

Use Option Pathway AI to build a complete set of market-entry choices rather than forcing a yes-or-no decision. Compare strategic paths against their investment, capability, risk, and evidence requirements before selecting the strongest option.

Explore the hypothesis of diversifying into a new product or business line. See how the consultants assess this option by analyzing industry attractiveness, the company’s core capabilities, and potential risks.

Evaluate the hypothesis that improving internal cost control or efficiency could address the client’s issue. Learn about analyzing cost structures, identifying inefficiencies, and estimating savings from cost initiatives.

Deep-dive into Phase 6 – how consultants synthesize their analysis into key insights and recommendations, and develop the final presentation or report to communicate these findings to the client.

See an example of how a complex analysis can be distilled into a clear, powerful insight. Learn what a good synthesis looks like – one that directly answers the key question and resonates with the client’s priorities.

Turn synthesized findings into recommendations that are specific, evidence-based, and actionable. Connect each recommendation to the client’s objective, expected value, implementation requirements, risks, and next decision.

Present consulting findings with an answer-first structure that helps senior stakeholders understand the conclusion, evidence, implications, and required action. Adapt the level of detail while maintaining a clear and credible executive narrative.

Use Client Storyboard AI to turn analysis slides, interviews, options, and recommendations into a client-ready executive storyline. Design the executive summary, select and sequence the right sections, identify missing slides, test the logic, and create clear revision priorities for the team.

In this lecture, you will learn why the person delivering a senior-level consulting presentation matters as much as the recommendation itself. We will explore why final recommendations are usually presented by the consulting director rather than the CEO, especially when the findings indirectly assess the CEO’s leadership, decisions, or company performance.

You will also understand why credibility, independence, and perception are critical in board-level presentations. By the end of this lecture, you will know how to think about presentation ownership, why the CEO and consulting director should usually not present together, and how the consulting firm protects the integrity of the recommendation.

Define what truly counts as an “insight” in consulting. Learn the difference between just reporting facts and providing insights (which combine facts with interpretation and relevance to the client’s question).

Learn the purpose of a consulting final report or presentation deck and its key components: executive summary, context, findings (with supporting data), recommendations, and next steps.

Review excerpts from sample consulting reports or slide decks to see how insights and recommendations are communicated. Understand formatting and language that make the report clear and credible.

Learn a step-by-step approach for tackling very broad or ambiguous problems: start with defining the objective, then develop an initial hypothesis, gather data, and iterate, ultimately planning out a “storyboard” of the solution narrative.

Recap the entire consulting problem-solving process (Phases 1–6) using the Huntsman case as an example. Highlight key takeaways and how each phase links to the next, solidifying your understanding of the consulting approach.

Discuss the often-misunderstood phase after the strategy: implementation. Understand what consultants typically do and don’t mean by “implementation,” and why true implementation (making the recommended changes happen) is critical.

Learn the distinction between formulating an operations strategy (designing improvements, recommending changes) and implementing those changes on the ground. See how consultants ensure strategies are executable.

Understand why traditional program or project management alone isn’t the same as full implementation. Learn how managing timelines and tasks (program management) differs from achieving behavioral change and results (implementation).

Clarify common misconceptions: implementation isn’t just training or handing off a plan. By clearing up what doesn’t count as true implementation, you’ll be able to focus on what does (making real changes stick).

Discover what consultants should do during implementation: working side-by-side with client teams, piloting changes, adjusting processes, building client capabilities, and ensuring recommendations actually deliver results.

Recognize the “human” factors (leadership, culture, incentives, change champions) that determine implementation success. Learn strategies for managing these human elements to achieve lasting change.

Learn why helping a client succeed is only part of a consultant’s job – the truly mature consultants also manage follow-on opportunities ethically. See how handling subsequent sales (extensions, new projects) is done in a client-first way that tests your long-term credibility.

This lecture summarises the most important takeaways from the study. You will learn why strategy consulting is not reserved for people with elite degrees, finance backgrounds, or prior consulting experience. What matters more is the ability to follow a structured process, think in hypotheses, test ideas carefully, and interpret evidence with judgment.

The lecture also explains why important work motivates people only when they are allowed to contribute meaningfully, and why the safest recommendation is not always the right one. The central lesson is that great strategy comes from combining process, accountability, evidence, and courage.

In this section keynote, hear concluding insights that tie the entire structured problem-solving journey together – from correctly defining the problem to delivering impact through implementation. This talk will inspire you to take ownership, stay client-focused, and always connect analysis to tangible impact.