After leaving command roles in both disciplined (ADF)and semi-disciplined (law-enforcement) areas of government service, I wanted to understand how I could apply what I’ve learned in commerce.
I was motivated by the opportunity to earn an income beyond what I could in the public sector.
I was younger then and desired my life to be more settled and to provide everything I could for my family.
Success came quicker than I was ready for.
Over a period of ten years I experienced being a CEO and managing director of both public and private companies in publishing, biochemical, mining and medical equipment supply, in Australia and Europe.
I was fortunate to be in the right place and time to take advantage of circumstances and meeting the right people.
Then I failed. I went personally bankrupt for just over $6 million.
I managed to ensure none of my employees lost anything and were employed by the parties taking over my activities.
The biggest price I paid was my family – I lost them.
I was 42.
Just after I went bankrupt, a consultant I had partnered with (he did due diligence on acquisition targets) who was now the course coordinator for an MBA program at a university, asked me if I would deliver a lecture to the MBA program on the ‘human face on entrepreneurship’.
I said “Do you know I’ve just become bankrupt?”
He said “No but that should provide excellent content”
I asked “Does it pay anything?” He said “$100 per hour”. I said “Yes”
I was a regular guest lecturer on that program for a decade.
That began my journey as a consultant.
20 years on I recognise that I’ve had a wealth of experience that many haven’t. I also recognise that I’m still learning and will never stop.
I also recognised that my life purpose is to help others achieve the success they desire.
As a CEO and managing director I had learned the value of having a competent professional consultant available to help me in my thinking and decisions, though the accountability remains with me.
I learned that the role of consultant must be as a partner, not a servant.
I realised that the consultant must have the gravitas to respectfully challenge and offer alternatives to the board or C-level executives.
It must come from hard won experience, not just study or someone else’s models.
I learned that the consultant must know what they can’t do, as much as what they can do.
I learned that the consultant must know how to authentically establish their authority in their field of expertise.
Today with the world in a VUCA state (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) the consultant has a crucial role to play.
That role is based on the need to have expert external input, unbiased by the constraint of belonging, ownership, dependence or politics.
The right consultant will know how to help the client move to where they need and desire to be, using evidence based processes and even unusual ways.
The consultant must first earn trust and respect and remove the risk of the consultation, by truly partnering with the client.
That means having the courage to be remunerated from results, not just hourly fees.
That means engaging effectively with the peak decision maker.
The right consultant has a moral obligation to understand directly from the peak decision maker what the desired results are, not just the list of deliverables that their delegates will focus on.
By insisting on that meeting with the peak decision maker, the consultant will be protecting the delegates as well as the purpose of the engagement.
The consultant should not engage with people or committees who can only say No and not Yes.
It also means recommending other proven consultants who are more useful for the client’s needs.
To consultants who read this, are you up to it?
To corporate decision makers, will you insist upon the above premises?
If you want help in making these decisions, contact me.
