Aizhamal Akylbekova, Caroline Hoban, Dasha Lyubarskiy

AGCP celebrates the unique perspectives that each of our employees brings to their role.

In honor of National Women’s Month, we sat down with three of our managers, Aizhamal Akylbekova, Caroline Hoban, and Dasha Lyubarskiy. Each of them had wise words to share regarding perspectives on leadership, along with some solid advice for women who are looking to explore a career in consulting and positions of leadership in the future.

What does leadership mean to you?

“To me, being a leader means setting a direction and vision for my team and then working alongside them to achieve success. It means standing by my team, supporting them, understanding and valuing what is most important to each member of the team, and being a true advocate for them.” – Dasha

How do you develop your leadership skills?

By observing and learning from my mentors, seeking out responsibility and accountability, and by doing, failing, and practicing. If a team feels happy and heard, that usually equates to strong performances and a positive experience for all.” – Aizhamal

“Learning from my triumphs and mistakes, as well as those of leaders around me has been the most impactful in evolving my leadership style. Pausing to evaluate and reflect is invaluable in terms of leadership growth.” – Dasha

“Whether it’s something good or bad, observing the actions of leaders around me and learning by example is key to how I develop my leadership skills; that third-person perspective helps shape your own style of leading people, and provides examples of what to do and what not to do.” – Caroline

Who do you look up to as a leader?

“I admire my dad’s style of leadership the most; he’s one of the people that inspired me to take on leadership positions from a young age. He taught me how to be a strong servant leader; finding ways to help those around you. He showed me that a huge part of leadership isn’t necessarily about you, it’s about the people that you are leading.” – Caroline

How does AGCP foster and support leaders and women in particular?

“Our company culture is rooted in driving growth and providing opportunity. I’ve been fortunate to have incredible and effective mentors here, many of whom have been inspiring women leaders that I admire and learn from every day at AGCP.” – Aizhamal

“Honestly, we don’t have a targeted focus on fostering women leaders at AGCP and I appreciate that. Simply put, the focus is on finding individuals who have a natural pull and providing them with opportunities and support to develop their skills. The key is to get to know our consultants, understand their ambitions, and to provide them with all the opportunities possible.” – Dasha

Do you have any advice for women entering consulting and pursuing leadership positions?

“The world needs more women in leadership roles; women bring unique perspectives to the table! Set a goal, find a mentor, break down obstacles, be persistent, and never give up!” – Aizhamal

“Trust in your ability and try your best to do the right thing. Young women often doubt their ability to take on a more challenging project, to own a major workstream, to step into a leadership role. Don’t let those doubts take over!” – Dasha

“Consulting gave me the chance to try a lot of new things and work with global companies driving impactful change. Carrying yourself with confidence is key to success, as is understanding that it is fine to not always have an answer; it’s OK to ask questions!” – Caroline

We are grateful to have exceptional women representing our team at AGCP, and we make it our goal to foster opportunities for our people to continue to grow and learn. If you’re interested in joining our team of amazing consultants, we’d love to chat! To learn more about our openings at the firm right now, click here. We look forward to hearing from you soon!