Becoming a Trusted Advisor: The Key to Building Corporate Relationships

Being a trusted advisor isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about the courage to challenge your clients and tell them the things no one else will. That’s the real key to building solid and lasting relationships in the corporate world.

Many corporate leaders surround themselves with “yes men”—people who reinforce their opinions, avoid conflict, and tell them what they want to hear. But a trusted advisor does the exact opposite. You’re there to offer an external perspective, to help leaders see what they can’t see themselves, and that means you have to be willing to say things that might make them uncomfortable.

I’ll never forget one client who brought me in because his team was falling apart. He thought he knew the problem—he blamed his employees for being disengaged and ineffective. But after sitting in on one of their meetings, it became clear that the problem wasn’t the team—he was. He dominated every conversation, barely letting anyone else get a word in. His team wasn’t disengaged; they were shut down by his need to control every situation.

I could’ve played it safe, nodded, and kept him happy. But that’s not what a trusted advisor does. I pulled him aside and said, “I need you to stop talking for the next two hours. Let your team take the lead.” He wasn’t happy. He was furious at first. But he listened, and the result was incredible—his team came alive, started contributing, and solved problems without his interference.

That’s what being a trusted advisor is all about. It’s about seeing the bigger picture, pointing out the blind spots, and risking the relationship to help your client grow. You’re not there to be liked but to help them achieve results. Trust comes from knowing that you’ve got their best interests at heart, even if it means pushing them out of their comfort zone.

You must step into that role to build genuine relationships with corporate clients. Be the one who tells them what they need to hear, not just what they want. That’s how you build trust—and that’s how you make a real impact.