Seek out counsel and be a mentor to people, because then they learn how to be mentors.

I'm probably a little bit of an outlier for women because I don't believe that you have to self-promote to get where you're going.

My confidence came from always needing to compete.

We can all think we're discriminated against, and I'm sure many of us are. But I see a ton of optimism in corporate America around the advancement and retention of women.

My becoming the CEO is a testament to our long commitment to diversity inclusion. And I intend to really focus and really pay that forward for our future diverse leaders at Deloitte.

Over the years, I paid careful attention in client meetings and jotted down things that quite didn't make sense. And I had the courage to raise questions and to be skeptical when something didn't add up.

Disruptors are the ones with a keen sense of how the world is changing and how to get in front of change, driven by curiosity. The disrupted - not so much.

When you build your network, keep yourself open to new ideas, concepts, and theories. Some of them may even contradict and challenge long-held points of view. This isn't beneficial only to someone in my profession, but to every line of work.

You don't have to always be the smartest person in the room, but if you listen and absorb what you are hearing, you will be ahead of the game.

You don't have to be the biggest, the strongest, or the most talented player to be successful, but you do need to be a step ahead of the competition.

As a former NCAA basketball player, many of the skills I now rely on as a leader took root on the basketball court: teamwork, integrity, and resilience are just some of the traits I've carried over into my professional game.

Games are often won or lost on the free-throw line. This isn't about slick moves or great skills. It's about practice, muscle memory, and being able to keep a cool head under pressure.

The most common characteristic of childhood building toys is that they snap together in one way or another. Technology is constantly shifting, and we should make sure that whatever we build is interoperable and pliable.

Some infrastructure projects clearly require massive, coordinated investment - interstate highways or a new trans-Hudson tunnel, for instance. Others don't have to. We should be unafraid of pilot projects and learning.

Leaking tunnels, congested roads, rusting bridges, and aging railways often mean one thing: lost opportunity from delays and cancellations.

We can't afford to let high performing talent just walk away from our companies without providing an opportunity to work through family needs.

As companies deal with the impact of technology and the incredible pace of change, they are fundamentally rethinking talent and family leave programs.

At Deloitte, our programs for veterans are bringing new approaches to the table. For instance, we're helping veterans' organizations use data analytics to sift through streams of information about veteran needs.

Being able to see and recombine existing assets and know-how in new ways allows us to take an 'ingenious approach to innovation' - one that creates even more value from what we already have and know.

In addition to encouraging failure, I would also encourage companies to broadly create a culture of innovation. That should mean more than just technology and invention; it should mean something millennials know well: Ingenuity.

I believe that 20-somethings would be more likely to embrace experimentation - and provide additional value - if they felt safe to do so.

You never know where your career will take you. A competitor in the market could suddenly become an unlikely partner. Be flexible, keep your slate clean, and stay open to unlikely collaborations.

From my early days of playing 2:2 in basketball against my three older brothers to my years playing Division 1 college basketball and lacrosse, sports have played a big role in my leadership development.

We were sent outside to our backyard to play sports together all the time - no boy and girl differentiation, just two teams playing.