Julie Sweet, the Chair and CEO of Accenture, recently shared a deeply personal story that has resonated across the business world.
In an interview with Fortune, Julie recalled a pivotal moment from her teenage years that continues to shape her leadership philosophy.
At age 15, after losing a local debate competition hosted by the Lions Club, she vented her frustration to her father, believing the winner had benefited from favoritism as the daughter of the club’s president.
Expecting sympathy, Julie instead received a blunt but transformative response. Her father told her, “Julie, you’re never going to be the daughter of the president of the Lions Club. That’s not the family you were born into.”
He went on to say that while he believed in her abilities, success would not come from fairness or connections—it would come from being “so much better” that no one could deny her the opportunity.
Lessons in Fearlessness and Readiness
This moment marked Julie’s first experience with constructive feedback.
Her father’s words—“Tonight, you weren’t that much better”—instilled in her a lifelong commitment to self-honesty and continuous improvement.
She distilled his message into a guiding principle: “You should be fearless, but you have to be ready.”
Julie credits this advice with helping her develop resilience and adaptability, qualities she believes are essential for leadership.
She began working at a young age. To support herself, she took a job as a reservations clerk at a local dinner theatre.
That experience taught her to grow quickly and navigate adult environments. It also helped her embrace change—traits that would later define her career trajectory.
Accenture CEO Julie Sweet’s Journey From Law to Leadership
Julie Sweet’s professional journey began in law.
She earned her degree from Columbia University. After graduation, she spent over 17 years at the prestigious law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore in Manhattan.
In 2010, she joined Accenture as General Counsel, eventually becoming CEO of North America in 2015 and Global CEO in 2019.
Under her leadership, Accenture has undergone significant transformation.
The company has invested over $6.6 billion in acquisitions over the past two years and raised its AI bookings to $1.4 billion.
These strategic moves reflect Julie’s belief in staying ahead of the curve and being “so much better” that clients choose Accenture over competitors.
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