As a CEO, do you need a sound operational solution – or a set of slides to reassure your board?

As a CEO, you lead a larger SME and face international competition; margins are under pressure and the pace of the market is accelerating. For you, transformation is not a strategic project – it is a matter of survival. And yet, time and again, you encounter the same knee-jerk reaction in boards of directors and executive management: when things get complex, they call in the big names – Deloitte, EY (Ernst & Young), KPMG or PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers). It feels safe. It sounds professional. It is reassuring. But does it actually solve the problem?

You pay for a ‘Partner Level’ service and are provided with large teams of young, ambitious consultants. You receive structured frameworks, international benchmarks and perfectly designed presentations. But when it comes to implementation – to tough decisions, cultural resistance, operational excellence on the shop floor or in sales – the responsibility remains with your own organisation. The bill still comes.

Many concepts seem interchangeable. Standardised models that are supposed to fit every company – and ultimately fit none of them properly. In highly specialised areas such as AI implementation or advanced manufacturing, focused management boutiques offering everything from a single source are closer to reality. And anyone who audits, advises and implements all at the same time is, at the very least, operating in a grey area that raises governance issues.

Even more troubling is another observation: sometimes consultancy services are not commissioned to find the best solution, but to minimise personal risks. The famous phrase ‘The consultancy recommended that’ then takes the place of corporate responsibility. A ‘save my arse’ mentality on the board is only human. But it is not a competitive advantage.

Of course, there are situations in which large consultancy firms make sense. In M&A transactions involving capital market processes, external validation builds trust. A renowned brand can reassure investors and enhance reputation. That is legitimate.

But the real key question for a CEO is not: strategy or slides?

The question is: Do we have the capability to execute this internally? Are we prepared to take on responsibility? Are we concerned with political cover or with genuine change?

Operational process optimisation at the plant, digital product innovation, cultural change or rapid turnarounds in SMEs require pragmatism, hands-on involvement and speed. Not 120 slides, but people who roll up their sleeves, take responsibility and deliver measurable results. I’m not buying reassurance. I’m buying results.

After all, in the end, it’s not who had the best-looking slides that counts, but who delivered the results.