Julie Sweet, now the global CEO of Accenture, has opened up about a turning point in her career that set her on the path to leading one of the world’s largest consulting firms. Back in late 2014, just a month before she was diagnosed with breast cancer, her then-boss and Accenture CEO Pierre Nanterme made a surprising remark during what seemed like a routine meeting.
“At the end of the meeting, he closes his notebook and he pushes it aside, and he says to me, completely out of the blue… ‘I think you could run this place someday,’” Sweet recalled during a podcast.
Taking advice and stepping up
At the time, Sweet was serving as general counsel. She didn’t have a business background, hadn’t spent her entire career at Accenture, and was working in an organisation traditionally led by men. Nanterme himself noted that she would first need operational experience before she could make such a leap.
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Instead of doubting herself, Sweet leaned on advice she had once received from Dina Dublon, former CFO of JPMorgan Chase and Accenture board member.
“When someone gives you a stretch role… chances are that the person offering you a stretch role is as nervous or more nervous than you are. So, don’t say anything, like: Are you sure?” Dublon had advised.
Sweet kept that in mind when she responded to Nanterme. “I looked at him and I said–with Dina in my head–‘why, yes, I’d be interested. What did you have in mind?’” she said.
That conversation eventually led her to take charge of Accenture’s North American business in 2015, before being appointed global CEO in 2019.
Confidence as a leadership tool
Looking back, Sweet said confidence, along with humility and excellence, has been central to her leadership philosophy.
“We are constantly challenging each other and our assumptions,” she explained. “When you build a team that thinks that the status quo is challenging assumptions, embracing change, it means you’re constantly questioning. You don’t need to stop and have a big strategy… because you’re always working on the strategy.”
She added that asking questions and seeking help continues to shape her leadership style.
“I think the idea of being a deep learner at the top is really critical, and that is not usual in a lot of companies,” she said. “Because many times, the senior leaders, whether it’s the CEO or one level down, they’re the ones with all the wisdom. They’ve gotten these big jobs, and so the idea of training for leaders is often really odd to think about.”
Learning beyond expertise
Sweet also reflected on how her early days in Accenture’s legal department taught her that she needed to expand her understanding of the business to succeed.
“I figured out pretty quickly that if I wanted to be the business leader with legal experience, I had to deeply understand the business,” she said.
That mindset, she explained, helped position her for bigger leadership opportunities. “Transparency builds trust,” Sweet added. “Because the more value you can contribute [to] your company, the more likely you’re going to get that best next job.”
