Is the leader going to listen to the one telling truth to power?

Season 4, Episode 8 — Click here to download the transcript

When a new leader comes in, there may be strong pressure — whether internally or externally — to make a measurable difference in the organization, and to do so quickly. Sometimes, they decide to bring in external consultants with whom they have worked with before or they have prior professional relationships with. Sometimes that works out great for the organization — the consultant knows what the ‘boss’ wants and is uniquely positioned to deliver, helping the leader foster change.

Unfortunately, in the two cases I discuss in this episode, both of which happened long ago, the external consultant did not deliver in a helpful way. On the contrary, by either abusing their relationship with the leader or acting inappropriately with the members of the organization, these two consultants arguably did more harm than good. While the rules of hiring consultants have long changed since the time these stories took place, the general concern remains today — when the consultant starts pulling rank on the organization, the organization has to stand up or it is the leader’s credibility that is at risk.

What happened in these two cases? Listen and find out!

Works Referenced:

Scott, B. (2000). Consulting on the inside: An internal consultant’s guide to living and working inside organizations. American Society for Training and Development.

From the Talking About Organizations Network:

TAOP Episode 45, “Fate of Whistleblowers — C. Fred Alford”, covering Alford, C. F. (2001). Whistleblowers: Broken Lives and Organizational Power. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.