Friend or Facilitator: Navigating Grey Zones in Consulting

This article explores a real-life ethical dilemma faced by a consultant early in his career, where a personal bond with a challenging client helped save a high-stakes project. Using this case, the paper examines ethical decision-making through the lenses of virtue ethics and consequentialism, questioning whether strategic rapport can remain morally sound. Drawing from literature and consulting codes of conduct, the article concludes with practical insights for current practitioners and a call for more concrete case-based training to guide consultants through the complex realities of ethical judgment in the field.