Part 2: Decomposing a Consultant

Consultants don't just provide insights.

They drive change.

In Part 1, we explored how consultants create clarity. But clarity without action is just an expensive conversation.

The best consultants earn their reputation by driving meaningful change within organizations.

Three functions that turn clarity into change:

1. The Trusted Challenger

   → They push thinking beyond comfortable boundaries

   → They ask the questions nobody internally dares to raise

   → They confront inertia with an outsider's lens

Most organizations develop immunity to internal criticism; teams stay stuck in the rut of "how we've always done it." Great consultants break that cycle.

They accomplish this through:

→ Building credibility to challenge assumptions

→ Communicating difficult truths with both candor & care

→ Backing challenges with data, not just opinions

→ Creating psychological safety for radical enquiry

Elite consultants earn the right to say what insiders can't. When they reveal that the emperor has no clothes, they do it in a way that leads to change, not defensiveness.

2. The Execution Architect

   → They bridge the gap between insight and execution

   → They create momentum that outlasts their engagement

   → They translate strategies into concrete actions

The strategy-execution gap kills most change efforts. Great consultants don't simply diagnose; they push through with the implementation.

Their methods include:

→ Targeting the biggest value levers first

→ Identifying and empowering internal champions

→ Creating early wins that build confidence

→ Designing accountability mechanisms that stick

A consultant I admire once told me: "My job isn't to be the smartest person in the room. It's to ensure that after I leave, the team can execute smarter than when I arrived."

3. The Capability Builder

   → They transfer knowledge, not just recommendations

   → They coach clients to solve their own problems

   → They leave behind methods, not just solutions

The best consultants work themselves out of a job by building capabilities, not dependency.

Their approaches include:

→ Designing processes with clients as equal participants

→ Teaching methods, not just answers

→ Running simulations to practice new approaches

→ Providing support that reduces as capability grows

I use the same capability‑building mindset with the early‑stage founders in our portfolio, helping them thrive by sidestepping the missteps I've already made.

These three functions turn insights into action.

The paradox? Organizations hire consultants for answers instead of change.

But even change isn't enough if it doesn't lead to results.

In Part 3, we'll explore how great consultants create lasting impact.