The Flawless Consulting Fieldbook & Companion, 2nd Edition

Chapter 18Talking with Sled Dogs: Leading from Behind

Sam Magill

It might not be immediately apparent to you, but consultants are high-control people. I know we all sell models of teamwork and participation, but we are not too good at it. We like control, we would rather be the teacher than the student, and we think we have an answer, or at least a process, for everything. All the more appropriate for this article by Sam Magill to be about surrender. We all know the definition of surrender, and we mouth the rhetoric of consultant as learner—we are just waiting for the experience. Sam had the experience. Lucky Sam.

Imagine being charged with consulting to a group of highly committed individuals who have worked together for a long time. They know the territory better than you do and are more at home in their particular business environment than you are. What’s more, they are so skilled at their craft that they work from an instinct that is not immediately obvious. They are alert to changes in the situation that you miss entirely. If that isn’t enough, they know who the real movers and shakers are in the organization and don’t pay much attention to people who wave their arms a lot without earning respect.

Although I’ve experienced this both as a manager and a consultant, the scene I’ve just described did not occur with other people. It happened to me in Calgary, Alberta, while visiting Will Black, who taught leadership to people by having them work with sled dogs. The experience ...