The Power of Many Counselors

Surrendered Business

“Without consultation, plans are frustrated.
But with many counselors they succeed.”
Proverbs 15:22

Like most entrepreneurs, I tend to be very independent. The ability to call my own shots drew me to a career in sales and then as a business owner.

If anyone could confidently call their own shots, it would be Solomon. After all, he was regarded as the one of the wisest men that ever lived.

Yet, Solomon shares a key to his success: consultants and counselors. He says that without consultation our plans get frustrated. When we have many counselors, our plans succeed.

According to Solomon, one of the best ways to ensure success is to seek consultation and counsel.

Why do we need consulting? What value do counselors bring? Here are three thoughts from my personal experience.

They Counterbalance to My Weaknesses

Counselors bring balance that we don’t have. Each of us bears a part of the image of God. We are all made with strengths. Of the 34 strengths in Cliffton’s Strengths Finder, there are five areas where I excel: Strategic, Activator, Futuristic, Learner, Command. I’m great at coming up with a strategy and charging the field. However, for every strength, I have some glaring weaknesses. I need counselors and consultants or I may miss some things that end up causing big problems.

The Offer Multiple Points of View

Each of us brings a set of experiences and education to the table. We each have a point of view. On our own we only see what we can see from where we stand. Often the thing we are looking at blocks our view of what’s behind it. Having multiple counselors brings multiple perspectives. We are able to see things from a different view point. Not only do we avoid things we couldn’t see, we also enjoy the benefit of additional ideas.

They Bring Outside Perspective

Not only is it hard to see your forest through the trees, it’s actually impossible. We live in the forest of our own businesses. Everyday we walk the same paths in the forest. We see the same things. We need others that can look from an outside perspective and bring fresh ideas.

We need people that can recognize both opportunities and threats to our forest. I’ve seen this over and over again when guiding leadership teams through a simple SWOT analysis. They are great at identifying their own strengths and weaknesses. When it comes to the outside opportunities and threats, most teams struggle. It’s usually the outside thing that “came out left field” that can cause the biggest disruption. With outside perspectives you can do better at seeing opportunities and threats.

I’m sure there are many other reasons that consultation and counsel are important. If Solomon recommended it, my guess is that it would be good for everyone.

Here’s what I think is so beautiful about consultation and council: it is highly relational. Business in the Kingdom is not a solo sport. It requires relationships.

Another thing that’s beautiful about counsel is that it places value on insight. I’ve yet to visit a company that doesn’t say, “We are a value-added provider!” If we want to stake our competitive advantage and premium pricing on adding value to our clients, doesn’t it make sense that we place value on people that provide insight to us?

The final thing I love about consulting and counselors is the humility it requires. At the end of Proverbs 15, Solomon says, “Before honor comes humility.” There is something healthy about humility that says, “I don't know it all.” This humble heart looks for other perspectives.

“With many counselors they succeed.” That sounds like a wise recipe for success!

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