Just to pick on the example a little bit (understanding it's not your main point). A scrum consultant would have most likely failed at the first step anyway, b

Just to pick on the example a little bit (understanding it's not your main point). A scrum consultant would have most likely failed at the first step anyway, because a consultant is going to sell scrum as a tried and tested, repeatable offering, and all it takes is to implement the framework. That's not how 'organisational transformation' works at all, but the process piece is easily marketable and looks exactly like a checklist you can tick off item by item: standup? check. Sprint review? check. Jira? check. Self-empowered teams and servant leaders? Errrr, that's not on the list! Retrospectives? Hesitant check. It takes a lot more effort to shift habits, empower teams, and reframe leadership expectations, and you need coaching and mentorship to make that happen. That's where the real work is once you've read the scrum framework instruction manual. So on that level I can understand why scrum might seem so dreadful. I've dealt with enough of that kind of crap myself and it's stressful, but I've seen it done brilliantly too and it's been a fantastic way to work.