Savita Nejal. Photo: Laura de Beurs-de Kooning

Savita participated in the Rebel program in October 2021, and was a sponsor for the company program for Accenture the following year.

Savita Nejal is 42 years old and lives with her partner and 4-year-old daughter in Capelle aan de IJssel. After graduating, she started at Accenture and has never left. She has now worked there for 18 years and has advanced to Senior Manager at Accenture Technology - Data & AI. As a member of the Data & AI Leadership team, she is the sponsor of the Talent Experience. In that capacity, she commissioned a business program with Rebel, tailored to the specific questions and composition of a Data & AI team.

When I think of Rebel, I think of growth, like a tree. Not only upwards, but also in breadth, toward the sun. Upward represents the Accenture DNA for me: better, smarter, faster, forward. What’s under the tree, representing shade, reflects my connecting role. My husband sometimes says I could chat with a lamppost, just because I’m curious about what kind of lightbulb is inside. I want to know what makes someone tick, I like to think along based on my own experiences, and people trust me. This fits with my role on the Leadership Team and as a sponsor of the Talent Experience: I think about how we can help our employees develop and improve in the direction they aim for. For me, it’s about the opportunities we offer our people, even at the Leadership level. Because growth comes with change, and that’s something to embrace: it’s a sign that you’re alive. That’s why I was looking for a good leadership program for our team, and with Rebel, everything I was looking for came together.

But before I commissioned Rebel Leadership to create a tailored business program, I signed up for the open program myself: I believe you need to experience something firsthand to know if it aligns with what you envision. When I saw the list of participants, I had to swallow hard: there were some colleagues on the list. The idea of sharing personal things with them felt quite daunting. But the setting that Arnout and Lian Ka created at the beautiful locations immediately took that hurdle away. I was fully there, which calmed my normally quite busy mind.

Trust

One of my most important insights came during the individual sessions with Lian Ka. I was strongly raised with the belief that taking responsibility is important. Particularly in relationships, I have a tendency to slip into the ‘parent role.’ I speak to others from an authoritative position: I know what needs to be done and how we should do it. But that is not an equal or fair starting position, and it conflicts with my core values. Of course, as a senior I sometimes need to be directive, but I want to have the choice. It was very fulfilling to actively work on this and now distinguish where I am responsible and when we are on equal footing. By starting from equality, you give the other person trust. I want to give this trust to my colleagues, to help them with their growth from that place.

The moment I really thought, "Yes, we need to offer this to our team," was during an exercise on leadership styles. In this exercise, you ask for feedback from your environment about how much you apply certain leadership styles. To my surprise, the feedback forms revealed that others had a very different idea of where I still needed to develop compared to what I thought. That was an eye-opener: you know where you're good, but how do others perceive it? We often forget that we spend most of our adult lives with our colleagues and rarely make a real connection with them. Yet if you put some attention into the people around you, both parties only become better. With the Rebel program, we wanted to create a group that understands what drives each other and trusts each other. A team that is connected on multiple levels. We were also hoping for a pay-it-forward effect: what they learn now, they will carry with them throughout their careers and pass on to others.

Tailored Business Program

So, we sat down with Rebel to design a business program with a Data & AI twist. Both our team and the clients we work with are very diverse. Not only in terms of background but also in roles and types – from highly analytical to very communicative. How do you ensure such a diverse group feels connected? Within that diversity lies a lot of potential – how do we provide the right tools to tap into it? With this approach, in February 2022, a group of 12 people started a tailored Rebel program.

The group that stands now, after the program, is one that truly has an authentic connection with each other. I strongly feel that this shared experience has given them understanding and respect for each other. For example, we wanted to encourage them to communicate on a human level and to shift between different roles – and help them sense when that is needed. To achieve this, we sometimes took them out of their comfort zone, such as during the final presentation where we paired them intentionally with people who didn’t always connect well personally. Because you can't always work with people you personally click with. Stepping into others' shoes, communicating openly, and consciously applying different leadership styles – these are things they really learned during the program.

Balance

I now see that the participants have gained more self-confidence. They dare to take risks, approach things, and say ‘yes’ to opportunities. It’s really gratifying that we’ve helped facilitate that through the program. We’ve also conveyed our trust in them in everything we did. Not only by offering them the chance to participate in this program but also by having the cluster lead present at the kick-off. Now, not only do we see them as potential leaders of the future, but they also project that confidence themselves. I notice this when I speak to participants individually. They mention that they now more consciously reflect on their choices and career opportunities. They also value what they have and are less hard on themselves, including in personal matters such as parenthood. I’m happy about that because I hoped the participants would discover who they are as people, what they stand for, what drives them as leaders, and how they build relationships with those around them. A real relationship, not just a work connection. Because the growth I wish for them isn't only in their careers, I also want to help them make personal progress. If you’re not feeling good about yourself, it shows at work, and you won’t last. I’ve learned that the hard way. It’s about balance.

That balance is also reflected in the way Arnout and Lian Ka offer the program, with a combination of individual sessions, the setting, the trust they provide, and the focus on the participants’ own behavior and values. That’s so valuable. Growth can’t be forced, but by commissioning a tailored business program and offering the Rebel experience to this team, the change that comes with growth has definitely been set in motion.

"Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, communicating openly, and consciously applying your leadership styles – that’s what the team has truly learned."​

Sometimes, you need to be confronted with the facts in order to start embracing the strength you have right now.

"I love excitement, take on new things, and happily bring people along with a big smile on my face."

"Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, communicating openly, and consciously applying your leadership styles – that’s what the team has truly learned."