ZERO To HERO Journey (use for navigation)
I bet that every consultant wants to be a superstar. Nobody wants to be an average. And yet, most consultants get stuck at the average level.
Consulting can be a fantastic profession.
It can provide unparalleled career opportunities and unforgettable experiences.
But it can feel different for different people.
Superstars and average performers live in two different worlds.
One World is a fantastic place with impactful projects and great leaders.
Another one is a dark world with meaningless work and a dog-eat-dog culture.
I have experienced both worlds and wouldn't wish anyone to live in the second one.
When I was a consultant, I struggled with my performance.
It fluctuated. In one cycle, I would get an Average and Above-Average ratings in another.
My performance was dependent on external circumstances.
I could only achieve higher performance when working with exceptional people.
I thought that this was a normal situation.
That's what consulting looks and feels like. Messy, grinding, and miserable.
I didn’t know I had to aim higher.
I missed out by not achieving a higher rating.
Nobody took the time to explain and coach me on achieving this.
Who knows how many opportunities I have missed? How could my trajectory have looked like?
But, my mentees proved that having a different trajectory is possible.
They demonstrated accelerated development, experienced less pain and stress, and became more confident, accomplished, and fulfilled.
What Is ZERO To HERO Journey?
Consultants have a vague understanding of their ideal journey.
They know that they need to get promoted at certain time windows. But, they hear conflicting expectations of what they must do.
Also, they poorly understand their level of performance. They understand only two distinct states: either they do okay or miserably fail.
But they have no idea how to perform very well.
Consulting firms heavily rely on the apprenticeship model.
In this model, the element of luck plays a disproportionally large role. Although it is an effective learning model, it may fail you personally because not everyone around you will be an exceptional coach and mentor.
This model works less effectively during an economic slowdown.
A shortage of staffing opportunities will delay the learning of many consultants. They need an effective substitute and supplement to help close the development gaps.
That is why we defined the Zero-to-Hero Journey.
It represents an ideal consulting journey.
This guide helps you not just survive but also thrive in the consulting profession.
If you are an MBB consultant and want to achieve high performance, book a free 1-1 consultation to discuss how exactly I can help you. There is no commitment and you can ask any burning questions you might have.
ZERO State - A Very Uncomfortable Place
A zero state is not when consultants just join the firm.
A Zero State is when consultants work with average performance.
Being average is extremely uncomfortable in competitive MBB firms.
They reward high performers disproportionately.
Average consultants have to scrap for leftovers.
Partners say that getting an Average rating is already a significant achievement. The bar is so high you should be proud of even making it.
But the harsh reality is:
Average performance leads to average treatment, opportunities, and career trajectory.
First, average consultants won’t get the best choice of projects.
These cool projects in sustainability, private equity, digital business building, strategy, etc., are always in high demand and available only to high-performing consultants.
Best leaders prefer to work with high-performing consultants.
So, access to the best sponsors is limited.
On top of that,
Confidence becomes extremely vulnerable.
Negative emotions overwhelm consultants. Anxiety, stress, imposter syndrome, feelings of being not enough, not smart, not included.
Negative feelings creep in and poison your personal lives.
They affect relationships with close ones. It's hard to enjoy life when you do not feel enough at work.
HERO State - A Place Where You Can Enjoy Yourself
“You can shape your own path in consulting...” - you can hear from your leaders.
“… if you are a high-performing superstar.” - they neglect to mention.
High performers experience different treatment and have better opportunities.
The most significant benefit is the high staffing demand.
They can choose the best projects and have multiple offers even during economic slowdowns.
The best projects provide better chances of success.
Better leadership, better clients, better content topics, and better teammates. These good factors feed into a positive feedback loop of development.
Confidence becomes much stronger.
High demand and confident over-delivery make them believe in themselves.
This is a fantastic feeling—the best position to be in.
The negative effects of stress and anxiety are minimal.
When consultants learn to outperform, they unlock new levels of richer learning and experience.
How To Get To The HERO State
There are three main stages of achieving high performance.
I. STABILIZE >> II. ACCELERATE >> III. OUTPERFORM
Each stage has its own key milestones and critical skills.
It is essential to master the critical skills for each stage.
Additionally, I categorize the critical skills into five dimensions. They are similar to the development models you might have in your firms but may be simpler and more oriented to benefit you.
1) problem-solving, 2) career management, 3) operating model,
4) client management, 5) leadership and mindset
We put the stages and dimensions together into a coherent framework.
It fully illustrates the Zero-to-Hero journey.
Then, I use this framework to structure the content I write in this newsletter.
Ideally, you can self-diagnose your current stage in this journey and read all the relevant materials to progress in your career.
Let’s discuss each stage one by one.
I. STABILIZE
This is a stage when consultants just joined the firm.
It takes a few months to understand how the consulting profession works.
At this stage, consistent staffing is the most difficult challenge.
This time is essential to jump-start your development process, and any delays will negatively affect the overall development journey.
Another critical skill is making high-quality slides.
Learning to do it faster and better will help you get ahead of the pack.
Key milestones
Completing the first performance review with an Average rating
Completing 2-3 projects with no significant failures
Becoming staffable on your own when reputation starts working for you
Colleagues are providing positive feedback with no significant red flags.
Critical skills
II. ACCELERATE
This is the stage where most of the consulting toolkit should be learned.
At this stage, there is a lot to learn to achieve success.
If consultants fail to develop specific toolkit elements, it will hinder their progress.
For example, I couldn't progress beyond this stage because I had glaring gaps in slide-creating skills.
I didn't know that and couldn’t understand what was happening. I thought I was not smart enough, but in reality, I lacked basic technical training.
Moreover, at this stage, it is essential to learn career management skills, understand how your firm operates, how the evaluation process works, how to navigate work politics, and how to build a strong support group that will give you an accelerated impulse.
This is typically the hardest part to master, especially for introverted people with technical backgrounds.
I was completely oblivious to that dimension of the profession. Without proactive career management, getting to the higher tier is nearly impossible.
Key milestones
Achieved higher ratings or getting very close to this level
Completed 5-7 projects, different types and industries
Built a strong staffing demand (multiple staffing bids)
Enthusiastic feedback from colleagues
Critical skills
III. OUTPERFORM
This is the most complex stage, during which many sophisticated skills should be orchestrated. The hardest part is consistently getting a higher rating, review after review.
These colleagues become invincible. They can outperform in different projects, industries, clients, and leadership teams. Their level of performance allows them to become truly independent from external circumstances.
The main success factor here is highly enthusiastic and unanimous support.
At this stage, consultants can already work effectively. They don't need to be taught anything. It's mostly about finding energy and motivation to push higher and beyond.
The best example to explain this stage is training Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The coaches can’t teach them how to play, but players still need coaches to ensure they perform at their peak levels.
The work becomes about the consistency of high-level outcomes. Developing a highly dynamic and fast-paced operating model.
Key milestones
Consistent rating of Two or even One
Highest demand for staffing, when partners fight to get you staffed
Powerful, extensive sponsorship group that bangs the table for you.
Critical skills
Final Thoughts
Consultants can spend years and years learning consulting skills. But, not all skills are equally critical for achieving a Hero state.
I aim to define and teach the essential skills in the Zero-to-Hero journey, charting the most effective path to success.
If you are an MBB consultant and are sick of struggling with performance and development, this is for you.
I recorded a FREE TRAINING video on accelerating your development, achieving high performance, and becoming a confident consultant.
You can learn a reliable development system and quick wins to kick-start your momentum.
Book a Free 1-1 Consultation to discuss whether I can help you through my coaching program. There is no commitment, and you can ask any burning questions in a risk-free environment.
Read this post to learn more about the Hero’s Journey coaching program.
Great article. Very interesting and demanding topic. I think it’s very useful, and resonates with current challenges that I face at one of MBB firms.
This is a really great post and a very practical set of resources too. Some relevant here for independent consultants - worth a read!