Najla Najm

I grew up surrounded by strong female role models. The women in my family taught me that your achievements are limited only by what you believe you can do – a mindset which has shaped the way I approached my career.

My first job was in teaching; a typical occupation for women in my region. I entered the world of management consulting by chance, but was fascinated by this field from the very beginning. Although the profession was completely male dominated at the time, and there were few women in senior leadership roles that I could look to for guidance, I refused to be put off: I knew that I had found my niche. This wasn’t just where I wanted to be; it was where I needed to be.

And so my journey started. From the beginning, it was clear that this wasn’t new territory for me only; it was the first time many of my clients had interacted with a woman on their consulting team. In this way, my appointment was new for the market, too. Again, I didn’t let this deter me. Instead, I took advantage of the opportunity to learn from the best and build my knowledge and skills in a job I previously hadn’t known existed.

I made a point of keeping an open mind so that I could absorb as much information as possible. I did everything I could to further my knowledge: I bound documents, learnt how to regress data and add lines, and honed my presentation skills – I put my hand up for any job that needed doing. I never hesitated to throw myself into unfamiliar territory or learn something from scratch, and in this way I not only built on my existing strengths but also developed new ones.

I was promoted to partner after 14 years in consulting, and as the years progressed took on multiple leadership roles and two Board posts. It was never about the titles, however; all I wanted was to get a seat at the table and to be able to make an impact by contributing to decision making.

I don’t think I am the best or the smartest, but I do believe in myself. And I also believe that I can achieve whatever it is I set my mind to, so long as I work towards it with dedication, discipline and commitment, and keep an open mind – always.

As women, we are most successful not when we try to act like men, but when we make the most of our own characteristics.

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I grew up surrounded by strong female role models. The women in my family taught me that your achievements are limited only by what you believe you can do – a mindset which has shaped the way I approached my career.