Advice from Women Leaders in Consulting

• Do what you love. “You’re unstoppable when you focus on work that you’re passionate about,” shared Shannon Fitzgerald who leads Booz Allen’s business to modernize citizen services. Her team is revolutionizing how all of us interact with the Federal Government in a digital, self-service age. By always seeking out work she loved, Shannon felt she was able to not just feel personally satisfied but has been also able to shatter constraints for her clients through an innovative mindset.
  
  
• Use small moments to build your brand. “It’s not always the high-profile assignment that can build your brand,” said Kim Lynch who is a leader in the firm’s U.S. Government Classified and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency businesses. She reminisced about when, as a junior consultant, she heard that a colleague was sick and at the last minute that person couldn’t attend a client meeting to take notes. Even though it wasn’t Kim’s client, she jumped in and drove 2 hours to be at that meeting. She later learned that this act—getting the job done and serving the client no matter the ask—was what jumpstarted her reputation.

• Break out of your comfort zone. Karen Dahut, who now oversees 10,000 people working on global defense, offered a favorite quote from Michelangelo: “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” After college, Karen enlisted as an officer in the U.S. Navy where she learned how to influence others and command a group of people—many of them men twice her age. From that moment on, she never shied away from taking on a new job or tackling a thorny client challenge, despite the perceived risks of failure, and that served her well.
  
  
• Learn how to be an active listener. “Even if someone might be the smartest person in the room, you’re limited in what you can do as an individual,” according to Michele Hintz whose leadership allows teams to deliver digital and analytics capabilities to the U.S. Army. In consulting, Michele believes that success requires active listening to clients—to understand their mission, needs, and root challenges—and then working collaboratively with a diverse team to identify the best solution. When you don’t listen, and perhaps come in with a preconceived idea of what’s right, you miss opportunities.
  
  
• Look for new ways to transform the business. “The best consultants aren’t just thinking about individual contracts but rather are focused on how to continue solving problems more effectively and well into the future,” said Nyla Beth Gawel who helps lead Booz Allen’s solutions business. She stresses the importance of understanding emerging technologies, seeking out new spaces for growth, and anticipating client needs that may not be pressing today—but will be urgent tomorrow.
  
  
• Diversity is essential.  One of the most impactful takeaways came from Booz Allen’s Chief Innovation Officer, Susan Penfield. She shared the importance of paying diversity forward and being intentional about creating an inclusive environment. Whether it’s for a technology role or a leadership position, Susan believes in advancing talent with a purpose and embedding diversity into the fabric of a business.

For the consulting industry at large, this collection of advice is so important as we witness the increasing complexity of client challenges around the world. With an intentional focus on celebrating different backgrounds and perspectives and innovating with intention, we can all unlock better ideas for clients and foster creativity within our company walls.