Can A Leopard Change Its Spots: What the Leopard Thinks

Recent headlines have been flooded with reports of major management consulting firms dramatically revising their value statements and DEI policies, spurred by the shifting political landscapes around the world. The most notable change comes in the wake of Donald Trump’s rise to power, which has spurred a broader reconsideration of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices among large corporations.

Once seen as a competitive edge, DEI initiatives are now under scrutiny as conservative lawmakers and business leaders increasingly push back. What was once a core value for many firms, ensuring inclusivity, has become a potential liability as the race for government contracts, shareholder confidence, and cost reductions outweighs the commitment to diversity. This leaves a critical question: how quickly can a leopard change its spots?

This sudden, seemingly radical shift in the consulting industry's core values leaves me unsettled, prompting me to dig deeper and understand the industry’s underpinnings. What I discovered confirmed my suspicions.

A Glimpse Inside the Industry

Several books offer a candid look at the world of management consulting and its ethical complexities:

1. House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time by Martin Kihn is a sharp, satirical critique of the industry, based on the author’s own experiences at a leading consulting firm. With a mix of humour and biting honesty, Kihn pulls back the curtain on how consultants manipulate clients, overpromise outcomes, and charge exorbitant fees while delivering little of tangible value. He reveals the industry's use of jargon, complex PowerPoint presentations, and elaborate frameworks designed to impress rather than solve real problems. Consultants often prioritise billable hours over actual results, recycling ideas across clients without offering fresh, meaningful solutions. The book is an irreverent, behind-the-scenes memoir that exposes the uncomfortable truths about a profession that often places profits before ethics.
2. I'm Sorry I Broke Your Company: When Management Consultants Are the Problem, Not the Solution by Karen Phelan offers a humorous yet critical take on consulting practices. Drawing from her personal experience, Phelan argues that the traditional management consulting approach relies too heavily on rigid, data-driven methodologies that overlook human factors and the unique cultures of client companies. She critiques popular management theories for simplifying complex organisational dynamics, offering generic strategies that may look good on paper but fail in practice. Phelan advocates for a more people-centric approach to leadership, emphasising the importance of adaptability and an understanding of human behaviour.
3. Dangerous Company: Management Consultants and the Businesses They Save and Ruin by James O’Shea and Charles Madigan is an investigative deep dive into how consulting giants like McKinsey, Bain, and BCG wield considerable influence over the business world. Through a series of case studies, the book explores the successes and failures of consulting engagements, revealing how firms can either save struggling companies or lead them into disaster. The authors show that consulting firms often prioritise their own profitability over their clients’ long-term success, sometimes recommending cost-cutting measures and layoffs that provide short-term financial relief but stifle sustainable growth. The book also shines a light on the secrecy and conflicts of interest that often plague the industry.

The Leopard's Spots

As I set out to answer whether a leopard can truly change its spots, I arrived at a definitive conclusion: no, a leopard cannot change its spots—at least not without causing significant damage to its hide.

The same holds true for management consultants. These firms may adjust their values to cater to shifting political winds, but their core practices: prioritising profit, leveraging jargon, and offering generic solutions, are unlikely to change. While they may try to rebrand their commitment to DEI or shift their strategies to align with new political climates, their fundamental approach to business will likely remain unchanged. The leopard may change its spots temporarily, but the damage to its integrity is lasting.