As long as there have been leaders, there have been consultants. Through the centuries, their roles have changed, but the relationship between leaders and trusted advisors has always shaped history. Effective consultants play a crucial role, especially during pivotal moments when those within an organization cannot. This article will explore five key moments when consultants not only can assist an organization but should. Before diving into these moments, let’s first explore the stories of two historical kings and the consultants they relied on. However, if you prefer bullet points over stories, click here.

“Yes, men tell you what you want to hear, consultants tell you what you need to hear.”

The king awoke to a sunny, dusty day in his Middle Eastern kingdom. As his servant handed him a fresh glass of water, he looked out over the vast lands of his nation. His country was battling to stay independent from the waning Assyrian Empire while fending off rising Egyptians and Babylonians, eager to claim his county for their own. Despite the surrounding turmoil, the king was determined to ensure the prosperity and survival of his nation.

Having taken the throne at a young age following generations of corruption, the king worked tirelessly to rebuild the nation. He spent much of his time overseeing monumental projects that symbolized the country’s identity, values, and purpose. One morning, while surveying a construction site for one such project, a worker excitedly informed him of a groundbreaking discovery: one of the nation’s ancient law books had been unearthed. This book, lost for generations, could reveal wisdom that might guide his decisions.

The king eagerly opened the book, only to feel his heart sink. The ancient text revealed the depths of the nation’s moral and spiritual decline—far worse than he had anticipated. What would he do with this knowledge? The king was devastated. He lacked the experience to interpret the book, and the leaders of the past were either corrupt or dead. His uncertainty deepened, and he realized he needed advice, but from whom?

Determined to find a solution, he turned to a well-respected consultant who lived nearby. She was known for her wisdom and had advised many. Upon meeting with her, she not only confirmed the authenticity of the book but also affirmed the king’s growing concerns. However, she also offered a way forward. Together, they discussed reforms that would restore the nation’s integrity and align it with the wisdom of the text. These reforms would define the king’s reign as one of the most remarkable periods in the nation’s history. Under his leadership, the country remained independent, and the people lived in peace for nearly 30 years.

Our second king sat on his throne, deeply troubled. One of his most trusted advisors was locked away in a dungeon, and the threat of a Babylonian invasion loomed. How had things reached this point? He reflected on the earlier stages of the crisis, when the Babylonians first attempted to invade. The king had been in a tense meeting with his leadership team, trying to corral their conflicting opinions. The leadership group was divided, with some pushing for immediate war, while others urged caution.

The king knew that his country was no match for the might of Babylon. Yet, he also understood that inaction or submission would lead to devastating consequences. His advisors pushed him to resist, but the king feared that any resistance would result in total destruction. The pressure was mounting.

Amid this turmoil, the king called for his trusted consultant, a man known for his strategic foresight. When the consultant arrived, he calmly proposed a solution: negotiate with Babylon, form an alliance, and maintain the kingdom’s autonomy within the empire. The consultant argued that open resistance would only lead to unnecessary devastation.

This advice, however, was met with fierce opposition from the king’s leadership team. Anger and frustration boiled over, and the king, swept up by his emotions and the pressure from his team, had the consultant thrown into prison. But now, as the Babylonian threat grew closer, the king’s perspective shifted. Realizing that he was running out of options, he called the consultant back, only to hear the same advice. This time, he listened more carefully, understanding that his kingdom was not in a position to fight a superpower like Babylon.

Despite this, the king faced immense pressure from his people to resist, and eventually, he decided to go against the consultant’s advice and declare rebellion. The rebellion was crushed swiftly by the Babylonians. The king watched as his family line was destroyed, his sons killed, and his vision for independence shattered. The king himself was blinded and exiled, ending his reign in disgrace and marking his time in power with instability and conflict.

Both kings found themselves in critical situations where they needed external guidance. The first king, unsure of what to do, sought the expertise of a trusted advisor to help him interpret the ancient text and develop a plan. The second king, dealing with political gridlock, needed radical advice to avoid a disastrous outcome. Both kings received advice they didn’t want, but needed to hear. In the end, the first king accepted difficult advice and thrived, while the second king rejected it and suffered ruin.

Leaders are not meant to go it alone. At crucial moments, an independent voice is necessary to help determine the trajectory of an organization. In the following five scenarios, a trusted consultant can be invaluable to an organization.

As organizations grow, it can become increasingly difficult for leaders to effectively listen across their growing number of stakeholders. Department silos and the distance between senior leaders can lead to miscommunication, resulting in critical information being lost or misunderstood. Leaders may be unsure of what steps to take next, or they may not even realize what they need.

• How a consultant can help: Consultants bring a fresh, outside perspective that allows them to gather and synthesize data effectively. Their neutral stance helps them gather honest feedback from stakeholders who might not feel comfortable sharing their thoughts within the organization. Consultants can:
  • Set up and administer listening efforts, such as surveys, focus groups, or interviews, and/or assess effectiveness of existing efforts.
  • Use advanced synthesis and analysis skills to identify patterns and insights that internal teams might overlook.
  • Present findings to senior leadership in an unbiased way, advocating for the results and facilitating decision-making.
  • Provide recommendations for prioritizing solutions, and/or creating a roadmap to address

Whether a leadership team is overwhelmed by rapid changes the organization has seemed to hit a plateau, or the pursuit of an ambitious goal, when the leadership team is entering a place they haven’t been before it helps to have a partner to walk alongside them as they navigate the unknown.

• How a consultant can help: Consultants bring expertise from working with other organizations that have undergone similar transitions. They act as guides, offering strategic direction and providing a structured approach to navigate uncertainty. Consultants can:
  • Help identify core opportunities and risks
  • Conduct future-state design sessions to help the leadership team envision what success looks like.
  • Develop a prioritized roadmap of initiatives, breaking down complex challenges into manageable tasks.
  • Mentor the leadership team, offering guidance on how to lead their teams through the emotional, rational, and political aspects of change.

In day-to-day operations, employees often become bogged down by routine tasks, leaving little time to address larger organizational challenges or implement innovative changes. Known issues, outdated systems, or broken processes can remain unaddressed indefinitely, preventing the organization from moving forward.

• How a consultant can help: Consultants are project-oriented and focus on specific challenges that require attention outside of regular business operations. Consultants can collaborate with your team to facilitate the work, communication, and structure that is required beyond the day to day and drive true change. Consultants can:
  • Facilitate focused workshops, such as offsite sessions, to tackle specific issues without distractions.
  • Develop tailored solutions to address challenges, such as process redesign, technology upgrades, or organizational restructuring.
  • Design a prioritized roadmap for implementation, ensuring that important initiatives are executed in a timely and efficient manner.
  • Provide project or change management support, ensuring that efforts stay on track and deliver the desired outcomes.

Organizations often find themselves in situations where radical change is necessary. This could be due to external pressures, political gridlock, a significant mistake, or a breakdown of trust in leadership. In these situations, consultants can provide an objective perspective and guide organizations through tough decisions.

• How a consultant can help: Consultants can operate as neutral third parties, free from internal politics, in root-cause analysis/opportunity identification, solution development and facilitation of decision-making. As such, they can challenge the status quo and offer difficult truths that may not be palatable but are necessary for progress. Consultants can:
  • Establish credibility with both internal and external stakeholders, leveraging their outside-in perspective.
  • Serve as objective arbiters in decision-making, helping leaders navigate difficult choices such as staffing changes or strategic shifts.
  • Provide an additional layer of protection for sensitive information, ensuring that confidential data is handled appropriately and shielded from retaliation.
  • Offer continuity during transitions of key roles.

Organizations often need specialized skills—like legal, accounting, or HR—that they may not have in-house. Niche consulting firms, dedicated to specific expertise, can deliver faster and more effective solutions, leveraging their deep experience and networks.

• How a consultant can help: In addition to tackling specific projects, organizations may provide consulting support to internal staff or outsource a function entirely to a niche firm. As a strategy consulting firm specializing in leadership, people, and organizational topics, Nikkiforos can help identify when a niche consultancy may be needed. Additionally, we may provide deeper specialized expertise along the following:
  • Leadership coaching, training, and development
  • Organizational design, structure, governance
  • Talent / workforce acquisition, development, and management
  • Process design and optimization
  • Human Resources advisory across the hire-to-retire lifecycle (Note: We are not lawyers, and cannot provide legal advice).

At pivotal moments, leaders benefit from the guidance of trusted consultants who provide expertise, objectivity, and a fresh, unbiased perspective. Whether facing uncertainty, growth, or crisis, consultants can play a critical role in helping leaders make decisions that will drive success, avoid costly mistakes, and shaping an organization’s future. By embracing independent advisors, leadership can ensure their organizations remain resilient, future-oriented, and positioned well for victory.

To learn more about how consultants make a difference see our post “Leadership Really is Life or Death” or why you may want to work with a independent firm such as Nikkiforos see our blog post “Trust is a Personal Endeavor”.