My reflections two years after my retirement

Two years ago, in peak-pandemic whirlwind of September 2020, I retired from Accenture and my role as Group Chief Executive of Accenture Operations.

This next shift in my career had been planned well in advance of this year. I’d built my career at Accenture, helping to steer the course for our company, as well as many wonderful clients and partners, navigating through an ongoing age of digital change. It was time for the next challenge, I just hadn’t realized that the world was going to find itself in such a challenging space at the same time.

I want to share a few reflections about what I’ve learned during my corporate career. My hope is that if you’re on your own professional journey, you may find a useful nugget to help you see your way on this amazing journey. So here are my reflections: 10 pieces of unsolicited advice (the best kind) that I wish I’d received, and listened to, earlier in my journey.

1. Be open and flexible to new experiences in life and work. You never know when you will find a new passion or something that you are uniquely suited for. We don’t know what we don’t know. ?It is a lot more personally gratifying to discover a passion for something “new” than to try and design the perfect role/job only to find out later that it isn’t what we wanted after all. Welcome challenges, and embrace the new.
2. Choose the right life partner – It is important to have a life partner who supports your dreams and aspirations.?Life and work are challenging enough. You need someone at your side who will cheer you on when things are going well and cheer you up when things are not.
3. Strive for life ‘integration’ - balance is a non-achievable goal – It is almost impossible to put up a big wall between your work life and personal life.?The key is to find the right way to integrate the various parts of your life in a way that is flexible and makes sense for you. Over time, work and personal demands/priorities change with the natural ebb and flow of life. The key is to adjust as you go and try to minimize the personal stress of these adjustments.?Although not easy, it will become more natural over time. ?
4. Always try to maintain your financial independence and hone your self-reliance no matter what route your life path takes. I’ve mentored many people at crossroads in their lives who have decided to take some time away from work, which I’ve always supported with of course some personal advice. ?This advice is to stay engaged, keep your skills current and consider part-time work. ?The reason for this advice is that you never know what will happen in your life or the lives of loved ones. ?Stay relevant and engaged in some small way to keep your options open.
5. Live your life to the full every day – don’t put off all things on your ‘bucket list’ – do them now! Try to build fun into every day. It is your dreams, goals, activities, adventures, and experiences that make you who you are and allow you to bring your best self to what you do. ??I had my epiphany about life and time when I was in my late 30s. While others were putting life on hold, waiting until retirement to do all the things they wanted to do, I decided to embrace life and take a conscious approach to live fully, on my own terms. What are you waiting for? Are you putting your life on hold for your job or career? The sooner you have your own epiphany the better. And then act on it. If you don’t, the treadmill of life will suck you back in and when you next look up another 5 or 10 years will have passed, and you can’t get them back.
6. Keep your work (and personal) relationships positive – don’t burn bridges or you will get burned in the process. As the saying goes, what goes around, comes around. Everyone, at every level of their career, should be respected.
7. You can only control you. Life is unpredictable and many things will happen that you can’t control, influence or change. The world has seen so many challenges and horrors – from 9/11 to numerous recessions, to the pandemic. ?Messy things will happen in life that you can’t control. What you CAN control is how you choose to respond. Lean in and deal with the situation and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Stay positive, optimistic, and solution-focused. You’ve got this.
8. If / when a leader you trust and respect ‘taps’ you for a new role or opportunity – go for it! Be confident, and don’t doubt yourself even if it is a major stretch role! You will figure it out – that is how you grow. I’ll never forget the Friday evening I received a call asking me to step up to a very senior role. It caught me completely off guard because I didn’t think I was ready yet. I laughed it off, and tried to play for more time – not a great start. What I learned from this experience is that when someone” taps you” for your next stretch role remember it is because they know your skills and believe you can do it even if you’re not 100% sure you can. So be ready, and open to what’s next.
9. Share your dreams and aspirations and yourself. ?People want to work with and be led by a real person. It is important to be authentic, don’t hide your vulnerability, and where you are comfortable share some of your life with others. Yes, do your job and do it well, put your head down, and get it done. But also share your dreams and allow others to connect to you as a person. When you share your dreams and aspirations with others you also make your first commitment to making them happen. This is a key step to achieving your goals and it also allows the world to conspire to help you achieve them!
10. A career is a marathon, not a sprint – pace yourself like an athlete. You must be at your best to achieve your best! You’ve heard it before, but if you’re still not taking care of yourself then it bears repeating. Sleep enough, eat well, exercise regularly, take care of your mind, body, and spiritual self, stay in touch and connected to family and friends, and keep learning, reading, and staying curious. Start now, today, to prioritize your well-being! ?

Accenture is an exciting company, a vibrant space to connect, collaborate and work to transform businesses and lives, and I am grateful for the years there. Wherever you may choose to work and build your expertise and experiences, I wish you as much of an adventure and a journey of learning as I’ve had.

Do any of these resonate with you? What have you learned on your own career journey? I’d love you to share some of your experiences and learnings with me and others – let’s keep growing together and lifting up one another.