I first heard this mantra long before my career began, but its significance only hit me once I started working with clients — some of whom felt far from “right” in their demands. Over the years, I’ve grappled with this phrase and come to give it my own interpretation, shaped by countless projects and varied experiences. Hope you enjoy my take on this one.

Life is a tough teacher — it gives the test before the lesson. Clients are no different. Let me illustrate with a few real-life examples.

1. The Stubborn Client

In one analytics project, the client insisted that all data engineering logic be handled within the front-end reporting tool — a decision I advised against. I explained that this approach would lead to inefficiencies and poor performance, recommending instead that we model the data outside the tool.

Despite my advice, they were adamant about their approach. Predictably, the resulting dashboards were a disaster: painfully slow, with loading times stretching into minutes. Eventually, they came back, and I was able to re-engineer the solution as initially proposed. The revamped dashboards loaded in seconds and performed seamlessly.

Lesson: Clients can adhere strongly to preconceived notions of what can be achieved within certain tools and constraints. Stay firm in offering sound advice and remain ready to course-correct when the opportunity arises.

2. The Disorganized client

Disorganization can be particularly challenging. On a recent project, the primary contact wasn’t technical and relied on a colleague for key information. Unfortunately, that colleague went on holiday right after kickoff, leaving us with unanswered questions about sensitive data and report audiences.

Rather than waiting passively, we guided our main contact to reach out to the right people for the necessary details. It took persistence, but we eventually pieced everything together and delivered the project successfully.

3. The Bureaucratic client

On the other end of the spectrum was a hyper-structured client. Every task required:

• A kickoff meeting,
• Five Jira tickets,
• A Confluence page,
• A detailed timeline,
• Regular updates to stakeholders, and
• A project closure meeting.

Initially, this level of bureaucracy felt stifling. I couldn’t act on ideas without layers of documentation and approvals, slowing progress to a crawl. After weeks of resisting, I adjusted my approach. I began managing multiple initiatives in parallel: while waiting on approvals for Task A, I worked on Task B and planned the kickoff for Task C. This strategy allowed me to deliver six dashboards to their business team, even within their rigid framework.

Lesson: Navigate bureaucratic environments with patience and flexibility. By embracing the system, you can find ways to create momentum within the structure.

To summarize

• Stubborn clients remind you of the importance of standing by your expertise while staying adaptable.
• Disorganized clients teach you leadership through guidance.
• Bureaucratic clients challenge you to find efficiency within the structure.

These challenges, while frustrating in the moment, build confidence, resilience, and the ability to deliver in almost any situation.

Why is the client always right then?

Because they chose you.

When a client hires you, they place their trust in you over your competitors. This trust is a privilege and a responsibility. It is our job as consultants to prove that their choice was the right one.

The client may not always be technically or strategically correct, but their needs, constraints, and vision must be at the center of what we deliver. They are right to expect us to deliver on that promise.

So, the next time you encounter a challenging client, remember: They chose you for a reason. It is your opportunity to rise to the occasion and deliver value — even when the road gets bumpy.