Mountaineering: Three aspects of consulting strongly remind me of mountain climbing. First is the difference between one's map and the actual territory. The map provides orientation but no one knows at the trip's start the weather challenges that may be revealed lurking behind the next hill. Second, the emotional tension of the climbing party reminds me of the tense atmosphere of an enterprise in the middle of a radical transformation process. Third, a good leader supports his or her group in the mountains so that they learn as they go along and improve their skills to master such distances. A good consultant does the same.