Prime Highlights:
- Julie Sweet says professionals should never doubt themselves when offered a big role, even if they feel unprepared.
- Her confidence in embracing challenges helped her rise to become Accenture’s global CEO in 2019.
Key Facts:
- Accenture is a $150 billion company with a workforce of over 770,000 employees worldwide.
- Sweet became global CEO of Accenture in 2019 after leading the firm’s North American business.
Key Background:
Accenture CEO Julie Sweet has a simple but powerful piece of advice for professionals: never question a big opportunity just because you don’t feel ready for it. Her own journey to becoming one of the world’s most influential business leaders is proof of what can happen when you embrace challenges with confidence.
Sweet, now 57, never imagined herself as a future CEO. With a legal background, she did not fit the traditional profile for the top role at Accenture, a company historically led by male executives who spent their entire careers within the firm. But in 2014, during a routine one-on-one with then-CEO Pierre Nanterme, she was told, “I think you could run this place someday.” The suggestion came at a surprising time, just weeks before Sweet was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Instead of voicing self-doubt, she recalled advice she once heard from Dina Dublon, former CFO of JPMorgan Chase and Accenture board member: when offered a stretch role, never respond with hesitation. The person offering it often believes in you more than you realize. Sweet followed that wisdom, replying confidently, “Yes, I’d be interested. What did you have in mind?”
That decision set her on a leadership track. She went on to lead Accenture’s North American business in 2015 and, by 2019, became global CEO of the $150 billion consulting giant, which today employs more than 770,000 people worldwide.
Sweet credits her rise not just to confidence but also to humility and continuous learning. She often describes asking for help as one of her “superpowers,” believing that even leaders must remain learners. This mindset, she explains, builds transparency and trust, qualities that help create strong, innovative teams.
For Sweet, a leader is a person who keeps on challenging assumptions and motivating teams to accept change. “You’re always strategizing when you put together a team that is all about doubting the status quo,” she said.
Her story is a reflection that the most significant chances can be there right under your nose and that being able to say “yes” and doing so with confidence can lead you to remarkable success.
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