Excellent article. Well explained and spot on.

There is one gap that I would like to point out. As consultants, you never make decisions for the client. But client-side leaders do make decisions. Decisionmaking is an extremely important element of leadership: when, and how.

In business, time is everything. A business cannot afford to have decisions languish. Decisions need to be decisive and timely. But autocratic decisionmakers are toxic and don't get true access to the minds of their people. Being an open and inclusive decisionmaker, while still being decisive, is a skill that must be developed. And knowing when to let others decide is an equally important element.

The book Turn the Ship Around is an excellent read about this. Sub commander David Marquet made decisions frequently: but what distinguished him was the kinds of decisions he made, and also the way that he elevated the capabilities of his crew over time, by teaching them, coaching them, and challenging them.