
Why Great Advice Isn’t Enough
Why do brilliant strategies often fail in execution?
Early in my consulting career, I discovered a painful truth: great advice is worthless if a team lacks the conditions to act on it.
Here’s an example.
I was brought in to help the leadership team at a fast-growing tech company that was struggling with scaling. The CEO hoped I could deliver a silver bullet—some breakthrough strategy to solve their growing pains.
During our initial engagement, I laid out a roadmap for aligning their culture and strategy. It was grounded in research from inside their organization, best practices, and tailored insights. Heads nodded around the room, and appreciation was expressed.
It felt like a win—until six months later when I followed up and found that almost none of the advice had been implemented.
The team had done some surface-level work, but the deeper changes needed to create momentum never took hold. It wasn’t because they lacked talent or ambition. They simply didn’t have the necessary conditions—trust, alignment, and commitment—to turn advice into action.
That experience was a turning point in my consulting work. I realized my role wasn’t just to deliver solid advice; it was to help leaders and teams cultivate the conditions where advice could take root, grow, and thrive.
From Insights to Impact: What Leaders Really Need
When I returned to the company a year later, I approached the engagement differently. Instead of leading with recommendations, I focused on identifying obstacles and removing the barriers holding the team back. What fears weren’t being voiced, and why? Where was trust breaking down, and why? What was unaddressed, and why?
In one meeting, a senior leader hesitated to share concerns about a deadline. When I asked why, she admitted, “I didn’t want to be seen as the bottleneck.” This vulnerable display of public honesty, along with subsequent work around trust-building, was the tipping point to a team transformation.
This moment revealed the real issue: the team didn’t lack good ideas; they lacked the trust and psychological safety to tackle challenges openly.
Over the next several months, we focused on creating an environment where people felt safe speaking up, challenging assumptions, and experimenting. Slowly, they began taking ownership of the advice I’d offered. They adapted it to their unique context, built momentum as a team, and started seeing real results.
The Hidden Work of Transformation
Advice, no matter how brilliant, is worthless without the conditions for acting on it. The best consultants don’t just deliver insights—they help leaders and teams build trust, alignment, and commitment.
These elements create the fertile soil where good advice takes root. Without them, even the most sophisticated strategies will fail to deliver lasting results.
Are You Ready to Create the Conditions for Success?
If you’ve ever felt frustrated by advice that fails to deliver, you’re not alone. The truth is, most organizations don’t need more advice—they need the capacity to act on it.
That’s where I come in. I help leaders and teams cultivate the trust, alignment, and commitment they need to thrive. If you’re ready to turn great ideas into real impact, let’s start a conversation.
If you want a more trusting team, a culture of belonging or a magnetic brand that attracts more of the right customers, I can help. If you'd like to explore if working together makes sense, drop me a line.