Meet Niloo Bedrood

“Sometimes, fear is just part of the journey. And you have to learn to rise above it”

The reality is that so many people, places, and experiences have shaped my life. But my experience as an immigrant has had by far the biggest and the earliest influence in my life. As an immigrant, you learn very quickly to start and restart in a new environment. Because you must survive. I always tell everyone: I am a proud immigrant and a proud American. Because both have equally shaped the person I am today.

My father, the biggest champion of our education, didn't think the developed circumstances in Iran would give his daughters the freedom and opportunity to be the best version of themselves. So he, too, sacrificed the life of abundance and the comfort of home for us to have a brighter future. I look back and wonder whether I could make such a huge sacrifice for my kids if I were in his shoes. But in a crisis, we make decisions with the best information we have, and that's what we did as a family.

I can talk about life experiences as a young immigrant for a long time. How my parents lost their life savings within a year, and how both of them went back to school as adults to learn a new trade. I started working at 16 to support my family and never stopped. Throughout the ups and downs, I learned the power of trust, relationships, integration, adaptation, and learning to overcome fear at a pretty young age.

Sometimes fear is just part of the journey. And you have to learn to rise above it. Working in Deloitte's Crisis Management practice, I try to instill that same mindset in my teams and clients daily.

Seeing crisis from both sides

After being in the field for almost 17 years, I decided I wanted to get industry experience to have firsthand knowledge of what my clients were dealing with. I worked in the heart of the media and entertainment industry, leading global financial systems and transformation for almost a decade, as well as the business recovery and resumption from an iconic cyber breach. And that experience has helped me build trust and credibility with my clients.

I look back at my collective experience and am convinced I was destined to be in a practice that helps other companies become more resilient because I've navigated many crises in my life and career. I understand the pressures companies are under; the survival game; and that when you lead a crisis, you have to be an authentic leader, take care of your people, and do the right thing—all at the speed of light.

Taking your team out of their comfort zone

Throughout my career, there's one quote that I always go back to: "A good leader will take their team where they want to go. But a great leader will actually take them where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be." – Rosalynn Carter, the former first lady of the United States.

Especially when you're up against extremely challenging problems, having a solid team that trusts each other is critical. So as a leader, I always try to build a safe environment where people feel comfortable bringing up issues, sharing new ideas, and, of course, asking questions.