120 REFLECTIONS ON CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP
doubt, and they frequently end up being blamed for the very things they
expose. This is the classic reaction of killing the messenger who brings
bad news. Whistle - blowers are fools working without protective
clothing.
Enron employee Sharon Watkins became the most spectacular
example of recent corporate whistle - blowing when she exposed former
Enron chairman and CEO Kenneth Lay ’ s very questionable accounting
practices in 2002. Thousands of employees lost their retirement and
savings plans while corporate offi cers ran off with the store. While tes-
tifying for a congressional committee, Watkins told how she met with
Kenneth Lay, the founder of Enron, after taking to heart his encourage-
ment that Enron employees could bring any problems directly to him.
Within two days after her session with Lay, when she alerted him to
accounting irregularities within Enron, the company sought legal advice
on the consequences of terminating her employment. Enron ’ s lack of
response to her concerns ultimately led her to seek help from the media
(McLean and Elkind, 2003 ).
In organizations, the role of the sage – fool is frequently assumed by
a consultant. It is one of many roles a consultant is asked to play, not
necessarily explicitly. Often, both parties remain unaware of the func-
tion that the consultant is fulfi lling, and also of the importance that role
has in keeping the organization fi rmly tied to reality. Occasionally,
however, senior executives realize the value of having a ‘ corporate jester. ’
In my work in organizations I have encountered companies that use
consultants for the specifi c purpose of staging short, satirical sketches in
order to transmit diffi cult messages. In general, however, it appears that
such messages are directed to middle management more often than to
the top echelons.
Consultants frequently realize that the real problem presenting in
an organization is very different from the problem the client originally
defi ned. There can be a large gap between what clients say they want
and what they need. Clients usually fi nd it easier to talk about the role
of others in creating problems than about their own contribution to
them. There is often great reluctance to raise and confront the real issues.
Bringing some of the contributing factors out into the open (with the
consultant in the catalytic role of the fool) can be extremely important
for clarity and insight (Kets de Vries and Miller, 1984; Kets de Vries,
2006 ).
This does not mean, however, that someone internal to the organi-
zation cannot take on this role. At times, a trusted senior executive will
play the part. Some organizations even make attempts to institutionalize
the role, casting internal consultants, some kind of ombudsman (follow-
ing the Scandinavian tradition), or a senior executive without a specifi c