Meet Akanksha S Gulia, Senior Consultant 2, Deloitte, an award-winning champion of Human-Centered Leadership, inspired by the core principle that true transformation begins when people and communities are placed at the heart of everything one does. A brave, benevolent, and brilliant leader, Akanksha’s journey and varied lived experiences cultivated a richer, broader, and more intuitive understanding of people, cultures, and communities, sharpening her empathy and enhancing her capacity to connect with others comprehensively.
Raised on Indian Naval bases where adaptation was second nature, Akanksha’s path was never linear. Her professional journey began as an architect, discovering the power in every blueprint to shape lives and foster a sense of belonging. Yet curiosity drew her deeper into user experience, prompting a master’s in design and innovation and a career spanning various sectors, during which she discovered that empathy is the key to meaningful progress. And this became her guiding principle. Every pivot revealed this: “Progress happens when we build with people, not merely for them.”
As a leader, Akanksha believes one must strive to deeply understand their people, the lives that they impact, and the remarkable change they are willing to enable. Currently, as a Senior Consultant at Deloitte and a PhD candidate, she approaches leadership as a
discipline of crafting cultures grounded in empathy, inclusivity, and visionary thinking. Her unconventional journey has taught her that embracing the uncharted isn’t just resilience; it’s the engine for human-centered transformation and lasting impact.
Redefining Value Chains: A Farm-to-Table Revolution Through Design Thinking
Akanksha’s dynamic professional career is marked by steering numerous projects and accomplishing significant milestones. Down memory lane, she reminisces about one such project- a service design project that had the most significant impact on her, where she was reimagining the farm-to-table experience. Having always believed in the power of systems thinking, she led a multidisciplinary team to trace every step — from the soil to the city —uncovering the barriers that kept farmers from earning their due. She felt personally connected hearing farmers’ struggles and realizing that the so-called ‘middlemen’ structure siphoned away value and dignity. Identifying a prevailing problem, she redesigned the system to enable farmers to access local markets directly, thereby reducing delivery times, spoilage, and unnecessary costs.
By forging partnerships with nearby cold storage facilities, they ensured surplus produce was preserved rather than wasted. Witnessing the smiles and renewed hope in the local farming communities was unforgettable. It reinforced that design thinking, when grounded in empathy and action, isn’t just innovation, it’s a path to restoring equity and possibility to real lives.
From Breakdowns to Breakthroughs
Challenges are part and parcel of every journey, and what propels Akanksha through challenges is a drive to transform adversity into possibility. Having navigated diverse
geographies and industries, she is motivated by continuous growth, both for herself and those around her. Standing strong as a pillar, Akanksha’s family’s steadfast encouragement anchors her, and her commitment to purposeful impact inspires her to view setbacks as gateways to deeper learning. When navigating high-stakes projects or personal shifts, she relies on resilience, curiosity, and purposeful reflection. To her, every obstacle is an invitation to innovate, adapt, and redefine her path. A mindset that sustains her through both professional trials and personal transitions.
Listening, Learning, and Leading Together
A defining lesson from Akanksha’s journey is the transformative power of intentional listening and courageous vulnerability. Early in her career, she equated leadership with certainty, believing she needed every answer. Meaningful setbacks revealed a greater strength: embracing openness, owning her learning moments, and cultivating an environment of shared ownership.
Today, Akanksha deliberately pauses to understand teammates’ motivations and perspectives, inviting candid dialogue and sincerely celebrating every distinct contribution. By creating space where both ideas and setbacks are welcomed, she has witnessed creativity and mutual trust flourish. She shares her challenges and insights openly, modeling authenticity and encouraging others to do the same. This approach consistently dissolves barriers and ensures that every voice carries weight as they co-create solutions, empowering their team to not only achieve but also grow together.
Where Real-Life Experience Meets Professional Evolution
Akanksha’s family relocated to a transcontinental place in her formative years, enriching her journey and elevating her professional trajectory. She gained a new perspective that profoundly shaped her holistic outlook. Witnessing her parents’ resilience during that upheaval taught her to find steadiness in uncertainty, the value of adaptability, and to lead with empathy, traits that later guided her during a high-stakes client transition.
Instead of defaulting to established playbooks, Akanksha listened attentively to the client’s concerns and tailored solutions to address their anxieties. The real-time experiences and lessons have taught her to adapt with heart and agility, not only building trust but also fostering enduring results, affirming her belief that authentic leadership flourishes when forged from grounded, lived experience.
A Life Anchored in Service and Authenticity
Growing up in an Indian defense family, “Service before self” wasn’t just a motto- it was the lens that shaped Akanksha’s worldview. Two principles anchor her: Integrity and Curiosity. She often reminds herself, “Authenticity isn’t a switch I turn on for work, it is the thread that runs through everything I do.” Integrity underpins her decisions and interactions at work, fostering trust and reliability across every relationship. Curiosity drives her to question conventions, embrace new ideas, and shape thoughtful solutions. Beyond the office, these same values guide her as a mentor, volunteer, and lifelong learner, forever seeking out perspectives beyond. The conscious alignment infused by her upbringing ensures that wherever she is, she leads with conviction, strives to serve, and lets her principles light the path forward.
Influence Rooted in Legacy
When it comes to influence, Akanksha doesn’t look any further than her family, especially her father and grandfather, both of whom were in the defense forces. Growing up in a household shaped by three generations in the Indian defense forces instilled in her an unwavering commitment to discipline, conviction, and a sense of purpose larger than self. Their example taught her that leadership is anchored in values, not titles.
Professionally, Akanksha draws deep inspiration from Ratan Tata. His empathetic approach to business and steadfast integrity have shaped her leadership philosophy. She strives to emulate his ability to blend purpose with performance, always striking a balance between results and responsibility, while maintaining compassion. These role models guide her choices, shaping both who she is and how she aspires to lead. With a background in defense, where moving cities was the norm, new environments constantly cultivated fascination with diversity. And, ultimately, Akanksha’s career trajectory reflects this blend of creativity, curiosity, and cultural appreciation, which fuels her approach to setting ambitious, meaningful, and human-centered goals.
The Art of Integrated Growth
Balancing a demanding consulting career alongside doctoral research has taught Akanksha to treat growth as a daily, dynamic practice. Rather than compartmentalize, she interweaves personal and professional development into a single, evolving narrative, each facet fueling the other. It is integral to take scheduled restorative breaks, relax, and rejuvenate before getting back to the grind. Hence, she intentionally carves out time for workshops, creative pursuits, and mindful rituals, such as evening runs or end-of-day meditation, to remain curious and recharged. Additionally, she begins each day with intentional reflection, guided by a mantra that reminds her that self-care fuels sustainable achievement. “She honors her energy as fiercely as her commitments.” Her family and a close-knit circle of friends are her true compass, offering unwavering encouragement and steady perspective through periods of intensity and change. Time with her loved ones is treated as essential, not elective. When demands intensify, gratitude becomes Akanksha’s anchor. She pauses, recalibrates her goals, and reminds herself that fulfillment cannot be measured solely by output.
Akanksha believes personal growth flourishes through community, curiosity, and thoughtful pauses that reconnect her with her purpose. She has learned not to chase the illusion of perfect balance, but to embrace fluidity, pivoting as needed while prioritizing joy, learning, and reflection. It is this holistic blend that sustains her clarity, resilience, and conviction amid the demands of high-pressure environments.
Blending Hobbies and Work for a Harmonious Life
Akanksha’s love for creative pursuits shapes how she approaches professional challenges with originality and resilience. In the kitchen, balancing meticulous preparation with improvisation helps her navigate complex projects and inspires her to encourage teams to explore beyond linear solutions. Baking teaches patience and a respect for process, while music and dance remind her to harmonize with evolving team dynamics and adapt to changing rhythms. Sports have instilled grit and a commitment to continuous improvement since childhood.
Together, these passions fuel Akanksha’s resilience and ingenuity, enabling her to view obstacles as opportunities for inventive collaboration, where structure and spontaneity unite
to drive meaningful breakthroughs. Her personal interests have enriched her professional growth in many ways and continue to be part of her holistic journey.
Success as an Evolving Mosaic
Akanksha defines success by how authentically she grows and the ways she uplifts others through each unique chapter of her journey. In her career, she measures it by the courage to pursue bold ideas, the wisdom gained from both triumphs and setbacks, and the encouragement she extends to others as they pursue their ambitions.
Personally, Akanksha finds success in moments of genuine connection, nurturing meaningful relationships, and embracing self-discovery and resilience, whether in overcoming challenges or savoring everyday joys. Ultimately, success is a mosaic: ever evolving, shaped by purposeful choices, balance, and the lasting impact she leaves, rather than a fixed destination.
