Becoming an Enlightened Consultant

Book excerpt: In his successful, forty-year career in the consulting industry, Tom Hilditch never found much time for self-reflection. But all that changed when a frightening medical diagnosis forced him into a prolonged period of quiet time, which coincided with the COVID pandemic and an era of massive social upheaval. When Tom received this precious gift of time to reflect, he experienced a personal transformation that showed him the need to clearly observe and understand himself and others better. Becoming an Enlightened Consultant showcases Tom’s individual awakening, and through this personal lens, it reflects a transformation underway in the consulting industry. This book is geared toward consultants in different stages of their careers: those just beginning, those who want to improve how they mindfully move through their careers, those looking to find and implement an effective exit strategy—and all the regulators, clients, and buyers and sellers of firms. Part One explains the basics of the consulting industry and speaks to the role of individual and collective self-awareness in a firm and how they determine success. This section provides important insights and predictions on leading industry trends and emerging markets. It helps each reader understand how to apply their own exploration into self-awareness in a way that will transform their own and their company’s performance. Part Two provides more practical nuts-and-bolts information about the consulting industry today, types of consulting firms and projects, and the range of clients in the consulting market. Offering a transdisciplinary approach that integrates ecosystems, it explores how human and cultural health is essential to our ability to improve consulting outcomes and to inspire and lead team members and firms to work intelligently and respectfully with their clients. The leading edge isn’t a crowded space, but it can be tremendously rewarding.