It’s been 20 years now since Liscia Consulting opened its doors for the first time. 20 years since the turn of the millennium. In the year 2000, Michael Schuhmacher won the world championship, FC Bayern München became German champion (again) and Nokia’s 3310 – the indestructible cellphone with an incredibly long-life battery – went on the market. Much has happened over the past 20 years, reason enough for us review our bit of history.
How did we get here?
In 2000, Gianna Liscia resolved to leave his job as sales director at Bertelsmann and start his own business. At that point in his career, he had already gathered a wealth of experience advising and guiding gastronomy and hotel companies. He hadn’t yet settled on his next destination. Still, the tide was definitely turning to self-employment. On July 1, 2000, his own company set sail – Team Liscia back then – in a converted dining room on the top floor of the apartment complex where he lived. His first client, an internationally active auto supplier, turned out to be a constant companion along the way and still with us today.
About a year later, Gianni’s brother, Marcello Liscia, joined the business. Up till then, Marcello had studied English and Italian, taught Italian at the local community college while also working as a translator and fitness trainer. The duo became a trio in 2015. Before becoming a Liscia Consulting partner, Jan Liscia worked as a licensed health-care provider. His rich leadership experience in a broad variety of hospital wards naturally led him to represent the business on the healthcare sector.
With their varying professional backgrounds, education and experience, each was adept in his area of expertise. Coaching, training licenses and other tools of the trade were, and still are, acquired. Because continuing education was and always will be a prerequisite for the three business leaders, as well as for all Liscia Consulting staff members. Walking the talk.
In 2015, Team Liscia – Experts of Change became Liscia Consulting – creatingLEADERS. This was not merely a name change. This was a conscious choice to direct our energies toward developing leaders.
Just what is the internationally successful Paderborn consultancy’s secret?
A few years ago, we asked our most loyal clients why they choose to work with us. We received a variety of responses, but they were unanimous on a few aspects:
We don’t beat around the bush. We get to the point, using clear, unmistakeable language. We have no qualms about making you squirm, if that’s necessary to achieve the best solutions for your issues. We are coaching and training consultants, taking a holistic view of your company. Emotional, rational, unsettling – these are our values. We live them; they are the foundation of our professional philosophy. Still, we are not unsettling per se, we adapt. We’re often told we have the ability to quickly establish a personal foundation of trust. Our relations with many clients are reciprocal friendships. Not surprising, it’s people that interest us the most.
And now?
We constantly strive to learn more and take new paths when that’s where the road leads us. We’ve already got the next advanced learning seminars and certificates lined up, and are excited about discovering new insights, about expanding our knowledge.
This year (quite soon), an anniversary edition of our book, Leadership is not an Illusion, will be published. Once more, we have dedicated a lot of time, blood and sweat to writing many new pages, offering as much supportive information as possible.
And we’re really looking forward to celebrating our 20th anniversary on October 8, 2021. Maybe a year later than planned but throwing a party under rigorous restrictions is not the carefree event we want to share with our friends and family.
What the next 20 years will bring is impossible to know, but we look ahead eagerly. We are grateful to our clients, friends and families for all the support and fealty they have given us over the past 20 years, and we look forward to the people we will meet in the future. We are proud of our small Paderborn business, of our success far beyond Germany’s borders and of the honor to work with such wonderful people.
