Building a Reputation as a High-Performing Consulting Team

"I don't like tooting my own horn." I hear this from talented professionals all the time. The discomfort with self-promotion is real, and I get it. Here's what I've learned: When you stay invisible, your team suffers. One year, I secured several promotions for my team and a substantial increase in our technology and professional development budgets. Later, I learned a peer was livid - complaining that "self-promotion gets rewarded over hard work." Ouch. My team and I were absolutely working hard. I just made sure leadership knew it. The hard truth: Good work doesn't speak for itself. Someone will tell a story about your team and their work. You can shape that narrative or let someone else do it - likely someone who doesn't understand the full impact. Three ways to shift from invisible to influential: ◾ Give visibility to work that matters: Focus on projects that impact the bottom line and will naturally connect you with key stakeholders. Then make sure your biggest wins get airtime. ◾ Master the pocket update: Keep this ready for any conversation - one project, one specific detail, one result. It's a simple formula I learned that communicates impact. Bonus points: if you are developing a high-potential talent on your team, make sure to drop their name in the update. ◾ Highlight what you want to be known for: Skip the laundry list of everything you've done. Choose strategically. What is the reputation you want to build? Are you a fixer? A builder? A powerhouse communicator? Create an authentic narrative that others can easily understand. When you get comfortable advocating for your work, you set a good example for your team. You create a culture where great work gets the recognition it deserves. Your team is counting on you to be their champion! #Leadership #PeopleStrategy #Confidence #Strategy #LeadershipDevelopment #Advocacy #EmergingLeaders Success Labs

How I build high-performing teams in 90 days (every mission): 1. Listen like a CIA agent This solves a number of problems: • Overlooked expertise within the team • Missed opportunities for innovation • Lack of trust between team members Start by having one-on-one conversations with each team member, focusing on their insights rather than complaints. 2. Empower the quiet voices I seek out the unheard experts, regardless of rank or title. In the SEALs, our best intel often came from the lowest-ranking team members. The same is true in business. I make it a point to create opportunities for every team member to share their ideas, especially in high-stakes situations. 3. Challenge the status quo I question "we've always done it this way" thinking. In combat, this mindset gets you killed. In business, it kills innovation and growth. Encourage your team to ask "Why?" at least once in every meeting. It's amazing what you'll uncover. 4. Cross-train team members I ensure everyone understands each other's roles. In the SEALs, we had to be ready to take over any position at a moment's notice. This same flexibility is crucial in business. Implement a rotation system where team members shadow each other for a day each month. 5. Set clear, measurable goals I establish SMART objectives for every mission. Vague goals lead to confusion and lack of direction. Clear goals align the team and drive performance. Work with your team to set specific, measurable goals for each project or quarter. Then hold everyone accountable. 6. Conduct regular after-action reviews I ensure we learn from every success and failure. In the military, we never ended a mission without a thorough debrief. This practice is just as valuable in the business world. Schedule a brief team debrief after each major project or milestone. Focus on what worked, what didn't, and why. TL;DR: It takes consistent effort to build high-performing teams. But listening actively, empowering all voices, challenging norms, cross-training, setting clear goals, and reviewing actions... That's how you will build trust, adaptability, and unbeatable team performance.

Talent is just the starting point. When we think about high-performing teams, it’s easy to focus on resumes, skills, and individual achievements. But the reality is: performance is a product of culture, not just capability. After leading teams across various industries and levels, I’ve seen how essential each of these really is: ⸻ 1. Clear Objectives Defined goals give teams direction, but it’s clarity around roles and expectations that truly drives execution. When everyone knows where the team is headed—and how their work contributes—it builds accountability, momentum, and reduces confusion or duplicated efforts. Clarity is alignment in action. 2. Open Communication Psychological safety isn’t a buzzword; it’s a foundation. Teams perform best when people feel safe to speak up, ask questions, and challenge ideas respectfully. Open communication leads to faster problem-solving, fewer misunderstandings, and deeper trust. Transparency from leadership, especially during times of change, strengthens this even more. 3. Effective Meetings How a team uses its time says a lot about how it values people. Productive meetings respect everyone’s contributions, stay focused, and invite meaningful dialogue—not just updates. They give space for collaboration, and leave people more energized, not drained. 4. Regular Recognition Recognition isn’t just a pat on the back—it’s a leadership strategy. Celebrating progress and individual efforts boosts morale, encourages engagement, and reminds people that their work matters. High-performing teams normalize appreciation, not just performance reviews. 5. A Foundation of Trust Without trust, you get competition, silos, and defensiveness. With trust, you get collaboration, resilience, and shared ownership. It’s built through small moments: listening without judgment, resolving conflicts with respect, and showing up consistently. ⸻ These five signs are simple—but not easy. They require leaders to be intentional, emotionally intelligent, and people-first. The best teams I’ve worked with weren’t the ones with the most experience or resources—they were the ones who genuinely trusted each other, communicated openly, and shared a clear vision. If you’re building, leading, or part of a team right now, ask yourself: Where are we thriving, and where is there room to grow? Because at the end of the day, performance is the result of how we work together—not just what we do. What other signs would you add to this list? #Leadership #TeamDevelopment #CultureMatters #HighPerformance #EmotionalIntelligence #ProfessionalGrowth #LinkedInCommunity #PeopleFirst #BusinessStrategy

If you’re serious about building a high-performing team; the kind that actually delivers in volatile, stretched, multi-market environments, you need to stop defaulting to hard skills or soft skills. What you need are power skills. These are the capabilities I see separating the high performers from the high-maintenance. I’m talking about the real difference-makers: → Strategic judgment in messy, fast-moving situations → Stakeholder alignment across functions, markets, and egos → The ability to lead transformation when there’s no template → And enough resilience to stay steady when things get hard (because they will) Most teams fail at the top not because the leaders weren’t experienced…but because they lacked the range to operate in today’s complexity. You can’t “hard skill” your way through cultural misalignment. And you can’t “soft skill” your way into transformation. According to McKinsey, companies led by “adaptive” leadership teams are 4.2x more likely to outperform peers on revenue growth. But, you can’t teach power skills at onboarding. You hire them. One of my clients, a global food brand navigating its third pricing strategy in 18 months, said it best: “We’ve hired plenty of smart people. We now need the ones who can handle chaos with clarity.” They didn’t need another commercial director with 20 years of category experience. They needed someone who could align markets, fix the margin gap, and rally teams behind a new direction, all without waiting for perfect data or full control. That’s a power skill. So if you’re hiring into your top team, here’s what I’ll ask you: Are you hiring for performance in stable conditions… Or for resilience, reinvention, and reality? Because soft skills sound nice on paper. But they won’t carry you through a pricing crisis, a culture reset, or a global expansion sprint. Power skills will. Follow me for more on building high-performing leadership teams in FMCG. #ExecutiveSearch #PowerSkills #HighPerformingTeams #FMCGLeadership #CPG #CEO #CCO #CMO #TalentStrategy