Juliette Hans

Applying Leadership Lessons from Rescue Missions to my role at Deloitte

It was the day before New Years Eve, and while others were making big plans or enjoying a well-deserved rest day, I was dressed in head-to-toe protective gear taking on a wildfire near Boulder, Colorado. Most days you’ll find me working as a Managing Director at Deloitte Tax LLP, but most of the rest of my time I’m a lieutenant on a search and technical rescue team near my hometown.

High stakes rescue scenarios keep me calm. They force me to focus on the situation at hand - often literal life and death scenarios for the people we’re there to help. There is no noise, no distractions in my mind, just the goal of helping whoever is in need, whether it’s from a fire, rushing rapids, or whether they’re lost in the wilderness.

I started my rescue team training as I was working through the process of becoming a Managing Director. While that might sound like a lot to take on at once, I felt supported by my team and leaders to follow my passion. Thanks to Deloitte’s well-being focus and with the help of a flexible schedule, I’m able to live out my purpose in my personal life: making a difference and helping people who need it.

Through both paths, I learned the true value of accountability and absolute ownership for my work and the work of my teams. It all comes down to the fact that as a leader, I feel accountable for everyone on my team and everything they do for the team-whether that’s for the safety of the people I work with on rescue missions or for my team of tax professionals working diligently for our clients.

When things don’t go as planned, as a leader I look for opportunities to help support those around me. There’s no finger pointing, just acknowledging where we can all learn and grow from our experiences. This level of accountability helps create a trickle-down effect of trust throughout the teams I lead, both at Deloitte and in search and rescue.