668: Private Equity Firm CEO, Rick Walker, on Power, Success and Getting Results (Strategy Skills classics)

668: Private Equity Firm CEO, Rick Walker, on Power, Success and Getting Results (Strategy Skills classics)

Author: FirmsConsulting.com & StrategyTraining.com July 13, 2026 Duration: 1:01:38

For this episode, let's revisit a strategy skills classic interview with an experienced founder, leader, and thinker across a variety of domains, Rick Walker.

In this episode, Rick walks us through his leadership journey, how he built his first company in his 20's, the lessons he learned across multiple domains, and how he was able to do multiple things successfully, simultaneously. He also shared his views about fear, pride, faith, religion, and ethics in relation to leadership and business.

Rick Walker scaled his first company to 400 employees when he was 26, and simultaneously, as Chairman, scaled a 53-country international nonprofit from 800 to 2,100 team members, simultaneously while helping his hometown of Houston attract over $5 Billion in job-creation investments. Rick's volunteer service also includes stints as a Director of a college in the middle east and Chairman of a $250 Million charitable foundation. His 3:30 AM wake-up call helps fit everything in. 

Rick hosts a podcast to help multi-domain leaders learn well - and has interviewed friends, who also happen to be world-class leaders, such as billionaires, musicians, members of the President's Cabinet, US Senate, US Congress, and great thinkers. The podcast is hosted inside a 13,000-square-foot mansion, which was the former party mansion of a Fortune 500 CEO, which Rick restored and uses for his family office, charitable events, and podcasts. 

Rick lives in Houston with his wife and 3 girls, where he spends much of his time serving alongside the best team members in his commercial real estate private equity firm. 

Claim your free gift:

Free gift #1
McKinsey & BCG winning resume
www.FIRMSconsulting.com/resumePDF

Free gift #2
Breakthrough Decisions Guide with 25 AI Prompts
www.FIRMSconsulting.com/decisions

Free gift #3
Five Reasons Why People Ignore Somebody
www.FIRMSconsulting.com/owntheroom

Free gift #4
Access episode 1 from Build a Consulting Firm, Level 1
www.FIRMSconsulting.com/build

Free gift #5
The Overall Approach used in well-managed strategy studies
www.FIRMSconsulting.com/OverallApproach

Free gift #6
Get a copy of Nine Leaders in Action, a book we co-authored with some of our clients:
www.FIRMSconsulting.com/gift


Tune into The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership | Critical Thinking | Problem-Solving for conversations that move beyond abstract theory and into the practical mechanics of decision-making. Hosted by the teams behind FirmsConsulting.com & StrategyTraining.com, this series connects you directly to the minds shaping how organizations and individuals operate. Each episode features a diverse roster of guests, including sitting CEOs, senior partners from top consulting firms, acclaimed academics, and even high performers from sports and the arts, all dissecting pressing challenges in business and society. What you'll hear is a deep, unfiltered exchange of ideas on applying strategic frameworks, exercising genuine leadership, and honing the critical thinking required to solve complex problems. The dialogue is built for professionals aiming to advance their careers, managers seeking more effective tools, and anyone interested in the disciplined thought processes that drive success. This podcast serves as an audio companion for those who want to learn from real-world application, not just textbook cases. By focusing on the interplay between strategy, leadership, and problem-solving, it provides actionable insights you can use immediately in your own work and life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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