I can understand that others go the independent route in order to be the decision maker and not the follower, and I do think there is a part of me that resonate

I can understand that others go the independent route in order to be the decision maker and not the follower, and I do think there is a part of me that resonates with that. However for me going independent was a better way to help others. I believe strongly that a good leader has to first be a good follower, though I still have a long way to go as a leader :) I think successful consultancies put their client's success as first priority, and they use their passion, experience, and talent to achieve that goal. I try to model my relationships after that. If I naturally become the lead in the project, that's great but it isn't a priority.