Lonesome cowboys and lone fighters are usually successful and become superheroes – at least in an Italo Western or Hollywood productions. Just remember Charles Bronson in “Once Upon a Time in the West” or Bruce Willis in “Die Hard”. Tough guys. Lonely fighters. Fix everything by themselves. Save the world on their own.
But riding alone into the sunset or fighting alone is never an option for consultants. In a consultant’s daily business, there are many situations one needs a helping hand, a second opinion or just a piece of advice to find a better or maybe the best solution for a lasting problem.
That’s why rule #17 gets more and more important: Stay connected and use your network.
Business and competition is getting harder. Competitors are getting stronger. Required skills are getting more and more specific. Challenges one has to face are getting complex and tricky. As a consultant you always should be prepared as good as possible. But remember – you are not a superhero. Therefore strengthen yourself with continuous exchange of ideas and knowledge. Talking to people around you, people of your core domain or experts from other interesting fields will enhance your resistance with respect to your daily challenges and will build up your ability to deliver top quality as a consultant.
Build your network. Learn from your network. Use your network. Stay connected with your network.
Credits to Dr. Ingo Schrewe at Incowia GmBH who was the inspiring source for rule #17 – Stay connected.
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