COMPANIES DON'T NEED ANOTHER STRATEGIC PLAN, THEY NEED WISDOM
- Juan Carlos Erdozain Rivera, MBA
- Aug 2
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 2
The world doesn't just need more strategic consultants. It needs Intuitive Business Wisdom. It needs leaders who understand resilience, who know how to navigate uncertainty, and who value intuition as much as data. The differentiator of a senior management advisor is not the what (strategy), but the how, since today's clients aren't looking for a simple plan; they're looking for a true advisor, a mentor.
THE CREATION OF VALUE
In today's business environment, we are drowning in data and information, but thirsty for clarity.
We have metrics, KPIs, roadmaps, and 100-slide presentations. We hire consultants who deliver the "what": the plan, the market analysis, the organizational structure.
And yet, many leaders feel like something fundamental is missing. Despite impeccable plans, execution feels fragile. Despite overwhelming data, the most critical decisions feel like a leap into the dark.
The problem is that we have confused the map with the territory.
1️⃣ A map is static.
2️⃣ Today's business landscape is a volatile, ambiguous, and ever-changing one.
This is where traditional consulting stops and the work of "INTUITIVE BUSINESS WISDOM" begins:
BEYOND STRATEGY: INTUITIVE BUSINESS WISDOM:
At inGenius-eaBC, we have evolved to offer what leaders truly need at the top: not just strategy, but wisdom.
Intuitive Business Wisdom
🔵 It's not a rejection of analysis; it's its culmination.
🔵It is the integration of rigorous data with that which does NOT appear in a spreadsheet:
▪️ Accumulated experience
▪️Pattern recognition
▪️A deep understanding of the human factor
▪️An intuition honed by decades of battlefield decisions.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE "WHAT" AND THE "HOW"
🔹Traditional consulting delivers the WHAT through a document, a plan, a series of recommended actions.
🔹The inGenius-eaBC Senior Management Advisor works with the HOW: how to think strategically, how to see the big picture, how to focus on what really matters, how to make smarter decisions, and how to lead amid uncertainty.
The Intuitive Business Wisdom approach is not for those looking for a quick fix or validation of their own ideas. It's for the leader who:
Finds himself at a complex crossroads and recognizes that old solutions are no longer sufficient.
Values deep dialogue and reflection as strategic tools.
Seeks a true intellectual partner, an advisor who offers perspective and candor, not just complacency.
At inGenius-eaBC, we no longer just build strategic and business plans. We cultivate wisdom so you can lead with a confidence and clarity that no analysis alone can provide.
FROM STRATEGIC CONSULTANT TO SENIOR MANAGEMENT ADVISOR: A NECESSARY EVOLUTION
In a rapidly evolving business environment, the role of the Senior Management Advisor emerges as a pillar for the transcendence and sustained success of organizations. Their value lies not in fulfilling a mere corporate governance requirement, but in injecting an external perspective, objectivity, and invaluable experience into the core of strategic decision-making.
A reflection that arose at an event of the National College of Independent Professional Business Advisors, AC (CNCPIE) that I attended in January 2024, allowed me to delve deeper into the crucial differences and similarities between the roles of "Board of Directors" and "Strategic Consultant".
The CNCPIE has established itself as a benchmark for this movement in Mexico and Latin America. Its mission to "professionalize the Independent Director and strengthen Corporate Governance" is a direct response to the need for stronger, more transparent, and equitable leadership.
The College's work invites a fundamental reflection: are we building companies for the present or forging legacies for the future? The answer lies in organizations' ability to adopt best practices, anticipate risks, and capitalize on opportunities with a clear strategic vision. This is where the role of the Independent Director, supported by a community of experts like that offered by the CNCPIE, becomes an invaluable asset.
Belonging to or collaborating with the College represents a commitment to excellence, integrity, and sustainable growth. It is the conviction that, through institutionalization and robust corporate governance, companies not only survive but thrive, leaving a positive impact on society. The CNCPIE acts as a catalyst for this transformation, reminding us that, in the chess game of business, the smartest move is the one made with wisdom, foresight, and the support of a professional and independent board.
BREAKDOWN OF KEY ROLES IN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND STRATEGY
To achieve effective strategic alignment in companies and organizations, which allows for awareness of the balanced scorecard at all levels, it is essential to distinguish the roles of the different actors who guide a company:
Director of Directors / Independent Director
Focus: Oversight, governance, and long-term vision. Its responsibility is fiduciary, safeguarding the interests of all shareholders and the sustainability of the company.
Function: Provides an external perspective, challenges the status quo, and ensures management accountability. He doesn't operate the business; he governs it.
Senior Advisor
Focus: High-level strategic consulting, focused on critical or future-oriented areas for the company (e.g., technology, international expansion, innovation). Acts as a "thought partner" (sparring partner) for the CEO and management team.
Function: Provides expert advice and practical wisdom on complex decisions. Often serves on an Advisory Board and does not necessarily have the formal fiduciary responsibility of a board member. Their value lies in their specific expertise and their ability to influence and advise, rather than in governing.
Strategic Consultant
Focus: Solving specific problems or developing projects with a defined start and end.
Function: Provides analysis, methodologies, and recommendations for specific challenges (e.g., entering a new market, restructuring). The relationship is transactional and focused on a specific outcome.
Mentor
Focus: Personal and professional development of an individual (usually a manager).
Function: Shares experience and wisdom to guide the mentee's career and decisions. The relationship is informal, long-term, and based on trust.
Executive Coach
Focus: Maximize the potential and performance of an executive or team.
Function: Uses methodologies and questions to help leaders find their own answers, improve skills, and overcome performance obstacles. It is a structured, goal-oriented process.
Strategic Alignment is not a role, but rather the desired outcome of the effective interaction of these profiles, orchestrated by clear leadership and strong corporate governance.
🔴👀 By the way, as I mentioned at the beginning of this reflection, I had the opportunity to experience the National College of Independent Professional Business Advisors, AC®, so I am allowing myself to share this experience through a video clip that you can see by clicking on the image below this text.
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