THE MAVERICK CONSULTANT

TMC 003 - Dare to shine

Thomas Luk — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 05:17:24 GMT

As consultants we strive to be professional in all our aspects. Starting at your attire to your communication style and how we collaborate internally and with our clients. For too long I personally was focused on being professional only and didn’t understand that there is more than just work which counts in consulting. It is often overlooked and can be scary at the start to shine with your personality.

The truth is clients are not looking for strategic robots or machines but also the person who is supporting them in their toughest challenges. Be human and be yourself and the clients will take you even more seriously. Be intentional when and what you share and leverage the Johari Window framework.

At the end it will be more fun for everyone involved and you clients might remember you many years later because of that.

TMC 002 - Know your stuff

Thomas Luk — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 05:01:07 GMT

A partner was advising a young Engagement Manager to not work on the project content but only delegate the work. I was listening in disbelief since this EM had not managed his own work successfully in the past.

I personally run a tight ship and even today can replace any role on the project anytime. You got to know the details, because they do matter and provide the foundation of effective recommendations and final impact.

Too often I have seen partners desperately trying to add value and fail. Even clients asked to remove them from the meetings or even the projects. Don’t be one of these guys.

TMC 001 - What's your message today?

Thomas Luk — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 04:07:14 GMT

This is a simple question, however most of junior consultants and even some partners don’t have an answer at least not a compelling one.

It is relevant to not only ride along a project, but become an active contributor and essential part of the team. So make sure you understand at any moment of a project or your daily work how the big picture looks like and how your work contributes in achieving the project objectives. You should be able to convince your clients, your leadership and at least wow your dinner date with. So make it compelling, make it count.

Focus on the big items first on which you are currently working on and bring them into the right sequence and ask yourself why they are essential. Now you already have your basic story. Spice it up with some details, evidences and numbers to make the story compelling and even more alive. If you have this ready you can easily shine in internal meetings or conference calls with your senior partners. They love compelling stories and you will be able to tell them what today’s message is. If there is a partner on board carefully observe and learn how he is doing it.

Sometimes you will also enjoy the weird show of one partner not getting anything together. Let it run for a while and then try to stop the non-sense (I suggest you are in the role of the Engagement Manager at this moment) and lead the rest of the call to a good end. At the beginning of a project most clients are typically even more confused than you and will appreciate your support here as well. Make sure you know what’s going on and help them to sort things out and to communicate accordingly.

Naturally, the message can and should change if necessary, but again make it compelling.