Is a Consultant a Change Leader?

I can tell you that when I started in consulting, I didn’t think so. I wasn’t the only one. My first partner told me “Don’t use the C-Word. Change scares people.” I was encouraged in my belief that a consultant’s job was to provide information upon which clients might make decisions.

But think about it.

Clients typically want to increase revenue, increase profit or solve a people issue, like organization, conflict resolution, or post-merger integration. So that’s Innovation in products or markets to increase revenue, increasing profit through operational process improvement, or sometimes getting everyone, and every system on the same page supporting the strategy.

Aren’t consultants likely to suggest that people do more of something, less of something, or do something differently – i.e., CHANGE?

It took me too long to get this and to realize that there is no consulting firm called Status Quo Partners and if there were they wouldn’t have much business.

Change Leader? Who Me? Hard Earned Wisdom for Those New to Leading Change is a collection of stories and essays about what it takes to lead organizational change. This is a fun read, written in an irreverent, anecdote-laden style, short clearly labeled chapters so you can skip around. It’s not a research or case-based academic text. There are stories about ordinary people who share insights about leadership and change. There are some unusual examples ( e.g., a Ritz Carleton shoe shiner, Genghis Khan, and Bruce Springsteen).

There are concept essays from almost forty years “helping leaders make strategic change,” including descriptions of types of change: innovation, improvement, and integration, as well as change “levers,” tools, models, methodologies, and skills to help start or accelerate organizational change.

I have discounted the eBook on Amazon as an introductory offer. Of course if you are a Kindle Unlimited reader your subscription entitles you to read it for free.

If you haven’t read my first book yet you can check it out at the same time.

I wrote Traveling the Consulting Road: Career Wisdom for New Consultants, Candidates and Their Mentors to share what I learned in my consulting career. I hope to help some people avoid my biggest mistakes.

The book traces the trajectory of a consulting career with information about the evolution of the industry, and specific advice about getting hired, succeeding inside a firm or as an independent if you choose.

I have substantially lowered the prices on all formats of both books on Amazon for the next 30 days.

More information including places to purchase it can be found by clicking here

Thanks for the privilege of your attention,