The Magic of Others

When I began consulting over a decade ago, I thought I could do it on my own.  After all, I’m experienced and self-motivated.  On any number of assessments, I score high on “need for autonomy.”  Initially things were fine, but fine isn’t great.  And great was what I wanted!

While I always included my clients’ ideas and expertise as much as possible in generating solutions, I also began to reach out to my colleagues … and to the colleagues of my colleagues.  I learned very quickly that the best ideas, the most innovative solutions, didn’t always arise fully formed out of my head.  There were many times when I needed the energy and perspective of others.  

I am, of course, not unique.  I see the same thing with my clients.  The most successful ones know how to build strong networks.   They are open to others ideas and share their own expertise willingly.  They cannot imagine tackling a juicy project alone – “no hoarding allowed” is their motto.  They hold a core belief about collaboration, and when this is coupled with a focus on results, magic happens.