Exposure To Leadership

Do you know what your partners will tell about you on evaluation? This simple question shocks many consultants. They realize that partners know little about them.

Leadership exposure is critical for success.

It fuels growth through performance feedback and staffing pull.

Performance feedback

Did you know that managers' feedback has less weight than partners’?

It is shocking information for consultants.

They think that focusing on managers makes them safe. After all, they spend the majority of their time together, right?

In reality, partners consider managers too junior to make sound people's decisions. Managers get too attached, and their judgment becomes clouded.

Also, experience matters. A typical partner would have hundreds of data points working with consultants, compared to only a handful for a manager.

Don't get me wrong.

Great relationships with managers are essential. But it might not be enough when you need it the most.

Staffing

A similar situation in staffing.

Ultimately, partners decide who to staff on projects.

There were times when managers were responsible for staffing.

But recently, I haven't seen this happening at scale.

It’s also important for a longer game.

Having a high-quality network of partners will be crucial for future staffing demand. The best way to build that network is through positive exposure to your leadership.

Getting Leadership Exposure is Hard

Partners are extremely busy.

Consultants may interact with partners only 3-5 times during the project, and with senior partners, it can be even less.

Consultants realize they don’t have any meaningful exposure to leadership only before evaluations.

They frantically try to make leaders support them, but that’s too late.

The more effective way is to create the right exposure from the first days.

Every interaction with leadership is an opportunity. It can be an internal meeting, a team dinner, or a drive to the client site.

Let me give you a quick example.

Unfortunately, I often see this sad picture: A group of senior partners visit a team room, and a manager and partners engage in ad hoc problem-solving discussions.

But, consultants keep working on their laptops. They don't think that this discussion is relevant to them.

Now imagine one bright consultant stands up and actively engages in the conversation. Asks intelligent questions. Provides own perspective and insightful comments.

Who do you think partners will remember?

This one bright consultant, or a bunch of no-names sitting at their laptops?

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What is a good exposure?

Think about it as a marketing concept of customer touch points.

Leadership needs several touchpoints to know and remember you.

These touchpoints should be diverse in content and medium.

For partners, it is enough to have 2-3 meaningful interactions to form their opinion. Their large sample size allows them to calibrate quickly.

That is why every interaction is important.

First impressions are crucial. Please don't take it lightly.

What kind of impression do you want them to have about you?

First, you want them to think you are an intelligent and capable consultant. You also have a great mindset and are eager to own and solve problems. You are resourceful, creative, flexible, and proactive.

Second, you want them to know you as an adequate and interesting person. They can send you to clients, and be confident you will not say something weird. But on the contrary, you will charm clients with your unique personality.

So, you want your interactions to be insightful but also memorable and personal.

The best exposure for you is when partners observe you working with clients.

This is a bingo + jackpot situation.

TIPS AND TRICKS

Let's discuss what tactical tips and tricks can help you to create great leadership exposure.

Lead by Content

Lead by content and insights. Prioritize content over process.

Typically, partners don't have the patience to listen to process updates. They want content—the juicy parts.

Start your conversations with the most significant insights or content breakthroughs. Then, if asked about it later, you can discuss the process.

Prepare for Exposure Points

Prepare well for each exposure point.

It sounds obvious. But very few people do this.

Prepare for important presentations.

Rehearse them multiple times. Shoot yourself on video and review.

This article explains how I prepare for my big presentations - The Biggest Missed Opportunity.

If you are under 12 months tenure, every interaction with a partner is a big presentation for you.

A Manager is Also Exposure

As a consultant, I treated my managers as important people.

For example, I prepared diligently, even if it was an internal problem-solving session.

I used to write down my speech in a top-down manner using the Minto Pyramid Principle, defining my governing thought and supporting arguments.

Then, I tried to anticipate any questions from my manager. I played multiple scenarios in my mind.

Many consultants don't do it.

They treat managers as buddies or nannies who should take care of them.

They would send half-baked slides and come to internal meetings unprepared.

It may be okay in the first months, but it is unacceptable for tenured consultants.

Ask Your Manager for Help

If you build a good relationship with a manager, ask them to create exposure opportunities for you.

Good ones should do it without asking. But it doesn't always happen by default.

Allowing team members to present in big meetings is a powerful move for managers.

It shows that the manager is confident and wants to develop the team.

Make sure you prepare well in order not to disappoint.

Asking a Question is a Power Move

Often, you attend meetings where it is tough to contribute.

You don't know the topic. You don't know the full context. You don’t have enough confidence.

But the expectation is that if you attend the meeting, you should say something.

Asking a question could be a good way to contribute.

An intelligent question can change the conversation. Just one question can show people your intellect, and it is less risky than making a statement.

Of course, you need to account for context. There are some high-level meetings where you are not expected to say anything. But these are rare.

Absent Leadership

Partners can often be absent, interacting directly with a manager. Some senior partners don't even attend the client site or team room.

What should we do in this scenario?

In these cases, emails can be a good exposure point.

Usually, it is a manager's exclusive right. They send the end-of-week emails and other essential team communications.

But in certain circumstances, consultants can also do this.

For example, imagine you have successfully conducted an important workshop with clients. You can write a good email summarizing key insights and so-whats. Add some nice pictures, videos, and client quotes. Agree with a manager that you want to send this email.

Elevator Pitch is Still a Thing

Imagine meeting your partners in the office or at the client's site.

This is also a fantastic exposure point, as many don't use them.

You can give a quick rundown of what you do and tell them about key insights and wins.

If the partner has more time, draw them into a short problem-solving session. So they can share their thoughts on your workstream. Keep it short and nice.

A Feedback Session is an Exposure Point

Many don't know that feedback sessions are excellent exposure moments.

You can use that to frame your case so that partners remember important feedback points.

You can update them on your work, key wins, and client impact.

Partners will appreciate this communication if you can do it organically.

Make it a positive interaction; don't turn it into a complaining conversation.

End of Project Email

I often ask my managers to write and send an End-Of-Project email.

In this email, they summarize the problem the team was solving, the critical insights, the project's impact, and where to find the essential materials.

This is a powerful way to end the project and make people remember your impact.

Sometimes, consultants can do that for their workstreams.

It is especially useful in large projects when consultants come and go.

But this move needs to be approved by your manager. You can't step over their heads. They don’t like it.

This creates a memorable moment that is linked to an individual consultant.

There is also a practical benefit for partners.

Often, clients or other partners ask questions about their work. Then, partners have all the needed information in your email. Every time they refer to it, it reinforces positive memories.

Personal Touch

Don't forget about personal touch.

Ensure you are not seen as a working machine but as an actual human.

Ask partners about their interests and family. How is their career going? What challenges do they experience?

They are also humans. If asked, they most likely will tell you these things.

Also, you can ask them for help or advice. People like helping others. They get emotionally attached to the people they help, especially if they can see the positive results of their help. So don't forget to update them on your successes unlocked by their advice.

You will realize that they are not machines either. They are fun, smart, and great people.

Closing

When thinking about leadership exposure, it is helpful to have empathy for your leaders. Put yourself in their shoes. What problems do they experience? How can you be helpful to them?

If you approach exposure problems with this mindset, it will become much easier.

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If you are an MBB consultant sick of being stressed, anxious, and lost, I would like to speak with you.

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