The 6th Power Required of IT Consultants: What is the 'Professional Foundation' That Serves as the Basis for Everything?

Hello, this is Ohno, the representative.

In my book, 'Becoming a Business Leader's Right Hand: IT Consultants in the AI Era,' I explained in detail the five capabilities required of IT consultants:

about these topics.

However, there is actually one more essential power required to effectively demonstrate these capabilities. That is the professional foundation power, which I will explain in this column.

1. What is a professional?

1-1. Five requirements indicated by American legal precedents

What is a professional? There are various definitions of a professional, but I would like to introduce one from an American legal precedent I heard before that resonates with me.

• Backed by advanced specialized knowledge,

• possessing a sense of ethics,

• for a specific client,

• solving problems,

• and receiving compensation.

This definition targets traditional professions such as lawyers, doctors, and accountants, but it also applies perfectly to modern IT consultants.
What I find particularly important is that it requires not just knowledge, but also a sense of ethics and dedication to the client.

1-2. What Soichiro Honda's diary without an eraser teaches us

When I was working at a major consulting firm, I heard a story from a respected senior colleague about the diary without an eraser of Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Soichiro Honda likened life to a diary written on a single sheet of paper.

I remember this being the lesson. This represents the very attitude of a professional. Take full responsibility for your own statements and judgments. If there is a mistake, acknowledge it and use it for the future. Never make excuses later or shift responsibility to others.

The same applies to IT consultants. Whether it is proposing to a client, making decisions on a project, or committing to team members, you are required to approach everything with a mindset of having no eraser.

2. The Four Elements That Constitute Professional Foundation

Professional foundation is composed of the following four elements. These function as the base that supports the five specialized capabilities.

2-1. [Proactivity] Taking responsibility for everything as your own

The first condition of a professional is the mindset that everything is one's own responsibility.
It is easy to blame the reasons why a project is not going well on the client's indecisiveness, the lack of ability of team members, or the company's inadequate structure. However, that is a mindset of blaming others.

A true professional thinks like this:

• The client won't make a decision → That is because I am not managing the client properly

• The team won't move → That is because my explanation or leadership is insufficient

• The company's structure is not in place → It is a professional's job to deliver under that premise

The moment you blame others, your growth stops. This is because you fall into the mindset that you cannot do anything. On the other hand, if you think with self-responsibility, an improvement-oriented mindset of 'what should I do next?' is born.

2-2. [Commitment] A stance of not running away

A professional never runs away, even in difficult situations.

In the field of IT consulting, ideal conditions are rarely met. Client policies changing back and forth, key personnel suddenly being transferred, budgets being cut, schedules being shortened—these kinds of unexpected events are actually business as usual.

What is important is the principle of client-first. No matter how severe the situation, run through to the end for the client's success. That is a professional's commitment.

Of course, this does not mean accepting every unreasonable demand. It means communicating that the impossible is impossible and presenting feasible alternatives. Beyond that, you must always carry out what has been agreed upon. This stance is commitment.

2-3. [Humility] A stance of continuous learning

Before being a professional, we are members of society. People who cannot handle basic courtesy, manners, sincerity, and punctuality cannot become true professionals, no matter how much advanced specialized knowledge they possess.

Furthermore, while IT consultants are professionals who solve management issues, their knowledge of on-site operations is far inferior to that of the client. The client's department managers and executives are our seniors, both as members of society and as industry experts.

The moment you think you are perfect, your growth stops. You must have an obsession that there is always a better way, learning from clients, learning from team members, and learning from failures. This humble attitude is the hallmark of a true professional.

2-4. [Endurance] The thick-skinned resilience to overcome hardship

The path of an IT consultant is by no means smooth. Having your proposals fundamentally denied in harsh reviews, having holes poked in your logic during long discussions, and receiving relentless criticism from clients—these experiences are rites of passage for growth.

What is needed there is the power to endure. You cannot continue this job if you get depressed by every single harsh piece of criticism. What you need is a moderate amount of thick-skinned resilience.

However, this does not mean you should just become insensitive. Take criticism seriously, learn from it, and apply it next time. Then, climb back up. This repetition cultivates a true professional.

What supports you in this is a sense of purpose: why are you working as a consultant? Your future career, what you want to achieve, and the value you want to provide. If these are clear, you can overcome any difficulty.

3. Why so? So what? Keep thinking until you die

At the core of professional foundation lies the 'power to keep thinking'.

In a consultant's work, it is no exaggeration to say that 99% of the value is created by 'thinking through' things. Visible tasks like creating materials and analysis are merely the 'final output' to deliver that sharpened thinking to the client. If the underlying thinking is shallow, no matter how elaborate the materials are, they will be worthless.

Why is it so important to think that deeply? It is because the management issues we face do not have a pre-prepared 'correct answer'. If you could just apply the solutions found in textbooks, consultants would not be needed.

The true value of a consultant lies in 'creating' a unique solution that exists nowhere else. Essential for this are the thought circuits of 'Why so?' and 'So what?'.

• Why so?: Dig deeper by asking why it is so, and if it is really so.

• So what?: Ask what it means by asking so what, and how it affects the business.

Of course, not everything in real business can be settled by logic. Human emotions, organizational dynamics, and unique cultures—these are things that cannot be explained by logic alone.

However, precisely because of that, after understanding the 'limits of logic', you must not give up on sharpening the blade of logic and thinking through things.

There is no end to thinking. Keep questioning, keep digging into motives, and keep thinking until you die. This is the way a professional thinks.

4. Skills are not enough. The importance of human qualities

So far, I have discussed the rigor and logical thinking required of a professional. However, that alone is not enough.

Ultimately, it is human relationships that build trust with a client. No matter how excellent your proposal is, if the client does not feel that they want to work with you, the project will not succeed.

That is why, alongside cool logical thinking, you need 'human qualities'—that is, humanity, passion, and an attitude that values spending time with the client.

Work is work, and everything else is separate. Even with someone you give a harsh review to, you treat them as an equal human being outside of the project. Being able to make this distinction is also a condition of being a professional.

5. Self-check | How strong is your professional foundation?

Having read this far, you might be wondering how much of a professional foundation you have. Let's check your current standing with the checklist below.

[Proactivity] Check

• When a project is not going well, do you blame others or the environment?

• Are you always thinking about what you can do yourself?

• Do you take risks and make decisions on your own responsibility?

[Commitment] Check

• Are you prepared to see things through to the end, even in difficult situations?

• Do you always follow through on what you have agreed to do?

• Do you consider the client's success as your own?

[Humility] Check

• Do you value basic courtesy and manners?

• Are you actively trying to learn from clients and seniors?

• Do you avoid thinking you are perfect and always look for room for improvement?

[Resilience] Check

• Can you view harsh feedback as an opportunity for growth?

• Can you accept criticism calmly without becoming emotional?

• Is your purpose for being a consultant clear?

The more items you can answer "yes" to, the higher your professional foundation is. Conversely, items with many "no" answers are areas for your future growth.

6. Professional Foundation Can Be Acquired Through Training

Having read this far, some of you may feel that you still lack the foundation as a professional. However, please rest assured. Professional foundation is not an innate talent, but something that can be acquired through training.

Proactivity is cultivated by accumulating small decisions. Commitment is strengthened through the experience of following through on what you have decided. Humility is born from knowing your own limits and having an attitude of learning from others. Resilience is formed as success experiences in overcoming difficulties become your confidence.

What is important is to practice with intention. In every small daily choice, keep asking yourself how a professional would act. This accumulation will eventually become your second nature.

7. Conclusion | If You Have Resolve and Strength, the Path Will Surely Open

These five specialized skills are certainly important. However, without the professional foundation that supports them, true value cannot be demonstrated.

Professional foundation cannot be acquired overnight. However, if you take on the challenge with resolve and strength, the path will surely open. This is a truth that many excellent consultants have proven.

You can take your first step as a professional starting today. With a resolve that has no eraser, take responsibility for your own words and actions, and do your best for the client. And, continue to learn humbly and overcome difficulties.

A career as an IT consultant is the best place to instill business professionalism. Please, while keeping this 6th power in mind, carve out your own path as a professional.

▼Click here for the 5 capabilities

8. To Our Readers

Thank you for reading until the end.

Please leave a comment below sharing what you felt after reading this article, such as 'I want to be like this too' or your determination to 'be mindful of this starting tomorrow.' Please feel free to use the comment section as a place for your own output.

Writing here is, in itself, your first 'commitment' as a professional. I look forward to your positive comments, which may serve as a realization for someone else!