https://www.economist.com/business/2024/03/25/have-mckinsey-and-its-consulting-rivals-got-too-big

 />Skip to content

  * Menu
  * Weekly edition
  * The world in brief
  * Search

Log in

  * Opinion

      + Leaders
      + Letters to the editor
      + By Invitation
      + Current topics

          o US elections 2024
          o War in Ukraine
          o War in the Middle East
          o The World Ahead 2024
          o Climate change
          o Coronavirus
          o The world economy
          o Artificial intelligence
  * Current topics

      + US elections 2024
      + War in Ukraine
      + War in the Middle East
      + The World Ahead 2024
      + Climate change
      + Coronavirus
      + The world economy
      + Artificial intelligence
  * World

      + The world this week
      + China
      + United States
      + Europe
      + Britain
      + Middle East & Africa
      + Asia
      + The Americas
      + International
      + A-Z of international relations
      + A-Z of military terms
      + A-Z of US politics
      + US election poll tracker
  * In depth

      + Science & technology
      + Briefing
      + Graphic detail
      + The Economist explains
      + Special reports
      + Technology Quarterly
      + Essay
      + Schools brief
  * Business & economics

      + Finance & economics
      + Business
      + Big Mac index
      + A-Z of economics
      + Economic & financial indicators
  * Culture & society

      + 1843 magazine
      + Culture
      + Obituary
      + The Economist reads
      + Christmas Specials
  * More

      + Podcasts
      + Newsletters
      + Films
      + The Economist app
      + SecureDrop
      + Subscriber events
      + Economist Education courses
      + Economist Enterprise

  * My Economist
  * Saved stories
  * Log out

  * Saved stories
  * Account
  * Log out

Search
[                    ]
Try AI-powered search

Business | The lost art of self-management

Have McKinsey and its consulting rivals got too big?

The golden age for CEO whisperers may be coming to an end

Illustration of carton box filled with people in suits, a computer
and a flower vase.Photograph: Ricardo Tomas
Mar 25th 2024
Share

AN ANONYMOUS MEMO briefly circled the web in March. The authors, who
claimed to be former partners at McKinsey, rebuked the illustrious
strategy consultancy for its pursuit in recent years of "unchecked
and unmanaged growth", and chastised its leadership for, of all
things, a "lack of strategic focus". With humility typical of
McKinseyites, they warned that "an organisation of genuine greatness"
was at risk of being lost.

This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition
under the headline "The lost art of self-management"

Business March 30th 2024

  * Have McKinsey and its consulting rivals got too big?
  * Making accounting sexy again
  * A marketing victory for Nike is a business win for Adidas
  * The pros and cons of corporate uniforms
  * Regulators are forcing big tech to rethink its AI strategy
  * Dave Calhoun bows out as chief executive of Boeing
  * Meet the digital David taking on the Google Goliath

[20240330_DE_US]

From the March 30th 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition
Share
Reuse this content

Discover more

A conveyor belt with a Ford T, a modern car and an EV car. Above them
is a robot hand holding a smartphone. This talks about the evolution
of cars and production.

What if carmaking went the way of consumer electronics?

The Foxconnification of electric vehicles

Derek dunked in a coffee cup with his name on it.

The horrors of the reply-all email thread

Easy to start, impossible to stop

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kennecott Copper Mine outside Salt Lake City Utah.

BHP and Rio Tinto are heading in different directions

The strategies of the world's two most valuable miners are diverging

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Poland's stockmarket has a hot new entrant

The IPO of Zabka could help revive Warsaw's beleaguered bourse

Pity the superstar fashion designer

Creative directors are coming and going faster than the latest trends

Can artificial intelligence rescue customer service?

The adoption of AI is surging in call centres

---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------

  * Subscribe
  * Economist Enterprise
  * Reuse our content
  * Help and contact us

Keep updated

  *  
  *  
  *  
  *  
  *  
  *  
  *  
  *  

Published since September 1843 to take part in "a severe contest
between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid
ignorance obstructing our progress."

The Economist

  * About
  * Advertise
  * Press centre
  * SecureDrop

The Economist Group

  * The Economist Group
  * Economist Intelligence
  * Economist Impact
  * Economist Impact Events
  * Working here
  * Economist Education Courses
  * Executive Jobs

To enhance your experience and ensure our website runs smoothly, we
use cookies and similar technologies.

Manage Cookies

  * Terms of Use
  * Privacy
  * Cookie Policy
  * Accessibility
  * Modern Slavery Statement
  * Sitemap
  * Your Data Rights

Copyright (c) The Economist Newspaper Limited 2024. All rights
reserved.