The #WORLDSWORSTCONSULTANT Guide To Dropping The “Consultant” Image
STEP 4 – NOT ABOUT YOU
You’ve been ferociously climbing that corporate ladder all your life haven’t you?
Every rung brings you more resources to command, more people reporting to you and a greater opportunity to delegate away tasks that you don’t like doing.
At some stage you feel you have hit the proverbial glass ceiling in your profession and think, “Hey, I’ll be a consultant!”
Isn’t that the epitome of the career ladder? Having a role where the CEO of a company (your client) not only sits up and listens to what you have to say but pays you to say it!
“A role where you can rapidly add one conquest after another to your C.V…. that sounds great! EVERYONE will look up to ME!!!”
Really? That is not what it is all about!
Looking for an even higher level of self-gratitude and deference than what was possible in your corporate career is not going to fly well as a consultant.
If you are lucky you quickly learn that it is not about you.
It is ALL about the client.
It is about their needs not what suits your situation or consulting preferences. Be flexible and adaptable, most of all be accommodating to changing priorities.
Remember: “Those who command respect don’t deserve it and those who deserve respect don’t command it” – be deserving of the respect you desire.