“The key to meaningful professional relationships is trust, which is built through consistency.”| The Change Maker Empowering Leaders: Meet Alex Kyle

Meet Alex Kyle, a dedicated change-maker with roots in St. Charles, IL. Her journey of transformation began early, driven by a passion for making a difference. In school, she actively initiated leadership development training and awareness campaigns. At Miami University in Ohio, she excelled in Psychology and furthered her knowledge by minoring in Human Capital Management & Leadership, along with Business Analytics from the Farmer School of Business . Beyond academics, Alex remained deeply involved in various activities, including student government, a dance company, and the Panhellenic Association.

Post-graduation, Alex returned to Chicago and rejoined Ernst and Young's (EY) People Advisory Services, where she's been instrumental in driving large-scale transformation efforts. Focusing primarily on Advanced Manufacturing & Mobility (AM&M) clients, she excels in organizational change management, leadership alignment, and strategic communications. Additionally, Alex has actively contributed to growing the AM&M sector and leading the Staff/Senior Mentor Program alongside her talented colleagues. In Alex Kyle, you'll discover a passionate, purpose-driven individual whose journey is an inspiration to all.

Miss EmpowHer: What does women's empowerment mean to you? Why is it important?

Alex Kyle: To me, women empowerment is about creating spaces, conversations, and relationships that help other women to exceed their potential. Instead of feeling pressure to compete for opportunity, women empowerment challenges that mindset – rather, as we succeed, we have both the opportunity and the obligation to create the opportunity for other women to achieve their goals.

“Women empowerment is about creating spaces, conversations, and relationships that help other women to exceed their potential”.

Miss EmpowHer: What advice would you give to other women looking to succeed in your industry? What qualities are the most important and what skills should they focus on developing?

Alex Kyle: Consulting is a uniquely challenging industry in that the work is always changing from day-to-day – teaming with different people to solve different problems for different clients. This opportunity for continuous learning and growth is what makes consulting so appealing to many, but it can also be daunting as you are entering the industry and trying to build a breadth of experience. The key to getting comfortable with that level of continuous ambiguity is to develop confidence in your own problem-solving process. Learning how to digest large volumes of information, identify the gaps, and ask the right questions are all part of that skill set to begin growing if you are interested in consulting as an industry.?

“The key to getting comfortable with that level of continuous ambiguity is to develop confidence in your own problem-solving process”.

Miss EmpowHer: Tell us about a woman who has influenced your career and how their guidance has impacted your professional growth.

Alex Kyle: I had the pleasure of studying under a professor at Miami University , Dr. Megan Gerhardt , who I am grateful to for helping me discover my passion for human-capital consulting. As a psychology student who began to question whether the clinical route was the right one for me, Dr. Gerhardt’s Management & Leadership classes demonstrated the kind of critical thinking and problem solving that I have come to love – tackling the challenge of how organizations can harness the power of human behavior to achieve great things. Following Dr. Gerhardt's latest research and achievements continues to inspire me in my career.??

Miss EmpowHer: How do you handle work-related stress and pressure, and what techniques or practices do you use to maintain your well-being while pursuing a successful career?

Alex Kyle: Firstly, I’ve discovered that finding community at work is critical for managing work-related stress. While working from home can be convenient and seemingly more productive, it can also be isolating. Finding opportunities to work with (or even physically near) others helps me to find resiliency when work becomes challenging. Secondly, learning to communicate my needs has been helpful to managing my work-related stress. I’ve found the best chance at getting what you need to be successful is by asking for it yourself. Of course, there are times where the needs of your team or project take priority but asking for informal feedback on a presentation you’ve given or requesting an hour of “Do-Not-Disturb” time to make progress on a deliverable are examples of how you can advocate for your own success.??

?“Finding community at work is critical for managing work-related stress”.

Miss EmpowHer: Can you share any lessons or insights you have gained from failures or setbacks in your career, and how you have turned them into opportunities for growth and learning?

Alex Kyle: One lesson I learned the “hard way” when starting out in my career was the necessity of redefining what success means for myself with every new challenge. In school, everyone is given the same definition of success – GPA is the single standardized measure used to quantify it. However, in the working world, success looks different with every new project, team, or client. While your individual contributions continue to matter, and can significantly impact project outcomes, there are many factors outside of your control which play a role too (budget, resourcing, etc.). Recognizing and understanding the parameters of your influence will help you to better manage expectations with others, communicate your needs, and find a version of success regardless of those other variables at play.?

“Recognizing and understanding the parameters of your influence will help you to better manage expectations with others, communicate your needs, and find a version of success regardless of those other variables at play”.

Miss EmpowHer: Can you share any strategies or tips for building a successful network and fostering meaningful professional relationships that have helped you in your career?

Alex Kyle: I believe the key to building meaningful professional relationships is building trust, and trust is built through consistency. While networking to create new connections is important, I’ve found that my most fruitful professional relationships are with those I’ve had the opportunity to work with closely. I’d recommend investing your time and attention into those relationships by being a reliable team member – someone who can always be trusted to follow-through on tasks (no matter the size or seeming importance) with attention to quality. When others know that they can trust you, they will continue to bring you more responsibility and opportunity that will fuel your growth as a professional.?

“When others know that they can trust you, they will continue to bring you more responsibility and opportunity that will fuel your growth as a professional”.

Miss EmpowHer: What strategies or tactics do you use for setting and achieving your career goals, and how do you stay motivated and focused on your objectives?

Alex Kyle: One strategy that has helped me in achieving my career goals is sharing them with others. When I have the opportunity to work or connect with someone new, I always share what I am working on from a personal development perspective – whether that be building a specific skill or gaining a new experience. Sharing your aspirations with others will help them recognize or create opportunities for you that will help you reach your goals.?

Miss EmpowHer: What motivated you to choose your current career field, and what do you find most fulfilling about your work?

Alex Kyle: I’ll refer back to Dr. Meghan Gerhardt’s Management & Leadership classes, because it was actually a project that I completed for one of her courses that reaffirmed change management consulting was the right career choice for me. This project introduced me to the concept of Ikigai, which is a Japanese concept that means your “reason for being.” Ikigai is found at the intersection of the Four P’s: Purpose (what you are good at), Passion (what you love), Problems (what the world needs), and Profit (what you can get paid for). Personally, I am good at organizing and driving large-scale initiatives forward. I am passionate about studying human behavior at the organizational level as well as supporting others in reaching their potential. All organizations today face challenges in driving their people's agenda. And thankfully, consulting is a career that pays – not only financially, but also in rewarding experiences and opportunities. I consider myself quite lucky to have found a career that I find fulfilling and allows me to live out my purpose every day.??

“Ask for informal feedback on a presentation you’ve given or requesting an hour of “Do-Not-Disturb” time to make progress on a deliverable are examples of how you can advocate for your own success”.

Miss EmpowHer: Can you discuss any specific trends or changes in your industry that you see impacting careers, and how you are preparing to adapt to these changes?

Alex Kyle: In August 2020, in the very midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, EY began conducting an annual “Work Reimagined” Survey to better understand the fast-changing landscape of the future of work. The 2023 results have been published and reveal that employers and employees have very different perspectives on the “next normal” of work (Fealy & Feinsod , 2023). Amongst the many themes outlined in the findings, one that stood out to me is the tension on the topic of hybrid vs. fully remote work. The results of the survey show that employers are much more likely to want employees to work two to three days remotely, whereas employees are more likely to want five days remote (EY, 2023). Flexibility has remained a key value for employees, and yet, we’re hearing of more and more employers mandating a return to the office for several days a week. In human-capital consulting, these are the real people challenges that we work to solve for our clients. For example, how do we make the workplace a space where employees want to come to work rather than requiring them to?

Citations:?

EY. (2023). 2023 Work Reimagined Survey. Ernst & Young LLP.

?

Fealy, L., & Feinsod, R. (2023, September 12). How can a rebalance of power help re-energize your workforce? EY.?

“Share your aspirations with others to help them recognize or create opportunities for you that will help you reach your goals”!

Miss EmpowHer: What advice do you have for individuals who are starting their careers or looking to make a career change, based on your own experiences and lessons learned?

Alex Kyle: One piece of advice I have for anyone starting out in their career is to adjust your mindset when it comes to feedback. In school, feedback is constant – every assignment earns a grade, which paints a very black-and-white picture of performance. Feedback is used very differently in the professional world, and I think this can be an understated adjustment for new graduates entering the workforce. For example, don’t just wait for the performance cycle to end to receive feedback – requesting more frequent, informal feedback from those you work with closely will enable you to adjust and grow in real-time. When talking with your team, quick questions to pulse-check how you are doing, like “what could I have done better in my presentation on that call?” or “what else can I be doing to support you?" can be very informative.?

Miss EmpowHer: How do you approach professional development and continuous learning to enhance your skills and stay relevant in your industry??

Alex Kyle: Many companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of investing in learning and development to remain competitive and develop talent. I’d recommend taking advantage of these opportunities (Badge programs, development workshops, etc.) to explore new skills or topics you are interested in – these types of programs are great catalysts for discovering new ways you want to expand and diversify your experience. Once you’ve identified a skill you want to develop or something you want to learn, let your network know that you’re interested in gaining that experience and begin looking out for real, hands-on opportunities that will help you achieve your goals.??

“Take advantage of the learning and development programs (Badge programs, development workshops, etc.) as they are great catalysts for discovering new ways you want to expand and diversify your experience”.

Miss EmpowHer: Can you discuss any significant achievements or accomplishments in your career that you are particularly proud of and what you learned from those experiences?

Alex Kyle: My most recent career milestone was being promoted to Senior in August of this year. While I am proud of my hard work that went towards this, I’ve also had the chance to reflect on how important the advocacy of those I respect was in helping me achieve this milestone. Finding and following people within your organization who you enjoy working with, can learn from, and are passionate about your development and growth is so valuable. These kinds of leaders are easy to recognize when you meet them, and they will play such a critical role in shaping your career when you invest into building those relationships. Always remember that your success is a group effort!

“Always remember that your success is a group effort”!

Miss EmpowHer: How do you balance your career ambitions with other aspects of your life, such as family, hobbies, and personal well-being?

Alex Kyle: When I first joined EY , I remember joining a call and listening to our Americas Managing Partner at the time, Kelly Grier , describe how she approaches balance in her life, and what she shared really stuck with me. She explained that we often think of balance as giving equal time and attention to each of our priorities at any given point in time. For example, if I value my career, friends/family, and physical health, then every day I should be putting in extra hours at work, checking-in with my parents, and attending my workout class. ? However, real, achievable balance is measured over time. Some days, weeks, or even months, one of those priorities might outweigh the others, but so long as I am always striving to return to “center” and not letting one of my values consistently win out over the others, then I am succeeding at balance. Defining balance in this way has allowed me to give myself more grace when trying to devote my time to all the things I value in life.?

Miss EmpowHer: Are there any specific books, podcasts, email newsletters, thought leaders/influencers, or training courses/programs that you would recommend for personal or professional growth?

Alex Kyle: For thought leadership on empowering an intergenerational workforce, I’d recommend “Gentelligence: The Revolutionary Approach to Leading an Intergenerational Workforce” by Megan Gerhardt , Josephine Nachemson-Ekwall , and Brandon Fogel , and Paul Allen .?

Don't miss out on more inspiring stories like Alex Kyle’s incredible journey. Subscribe to Spotlight Her today and be inspired by the trailblazers who are making a difference in the world: https://www.dhirubhai.net/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7074841793833361408

Like this? For more personal and professional development tips follow Miss EmpowHer on Instagram and Linkedin .

Want to learn more about Alex Kyle? Click here to connect with her on LinkedIn and here to follow her on instagram!