How I Apply a Growth Mindset to Workplace Mentorship

Claudia Okonkwo Chukwukelu is a Principal in our Atlanta office. Since joining BCG, Claudia has participated in coaching and workplace mentorship opportunities and has become a mentor for other BCGers. We connected with her to learn more about her experience engaging in mentorship opportunities as a mentee and coach. 

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Bringing a PhD to Consulting 

I knew I wanted to pursue consulting while getting my PhD in chemical engineering from Georgia Tech. I applied for a fellowship called the National Science Foundation Fellowship and as I was writing my essay for that, I realized I wanted to be an energy consultant. I saw my PhD as an avenue to use a problem-solving skillset and apply it to the real world through consulting. I was really involved in the energy space and did a lot of work in climate and sustainability, but I also wanted to learn more about how executives think and how businesses are run. 

I joined Georgia Tech’s PhD to Consulting club where I learned more about the day-to-day work of a consultant and found that there was an opportunity to go beyond energy into a variety of industries. I became passionate about case work, and I enjoyed the idea of meeting and building relationships with different clients from different backgrounds. 

What drew me to BCG was the people. Before I even had an offer, I connected with many people within the company who talked to me about life at BCG and what a career could look like for me here. They were open to scheduling coffee chats with me and were even willing to connect me with other BCGers to show me what it means to be successful at BCG. 

When I eventually joined, I saw the opportunity to do anything and everything, to be able to explore beyond energy. I started doing some work within the utility space but soon realized there were opportunities to learn about other industries and practice areas. 

The drive to help others grow 

I’m the oldest of six kids, so I’ve always had the mentorship spirit, it has always been part of my core values. But my professional background and experience has also driven my desire to give back in the form of mentoring. Coming from an advanced degree candidate background with no business or industry experience whatsoever, breaking into consulting was a challenging transition for me. I’ve had to work hard to be successful but also recognize that I have needed to ask for help. I’ve fortunately had the opportunity to be coached and mentored by others at BCG, and the support from mentors and coaches helped me focus on my areas for growth and development. I also leaned into support from BCG communities like Black@BCG, a group dedicated to providing opportunities for peer-to-peer mentoring and building connections. As the newly appointed Black@BCG node for Atlanta and the Southeast, I aim to use this opportunity to serve my community and continue growing-by-growing others, in a way that others have done for me. 

One thing I’ve learned through the mentorship and support at BCG is that you are never alone. You have people and communities that are here to support you and from my first day, I saw that there were so many different avenues for building relationships. Having had people take the time to invest in me and my capabilities, I have the desire to do that for others – that’s what drives me. I want to see others be successful, as well. So now as a manager, it is not only about the projects, but also about how I can help bring my team members up. I consider how I can help to develop them professionally and ways in which I can invest in their growth. That’s the goal that I bring into teams – grow by growing others – one of the guiding principles of our purpose here at BCG, and I bring that mindset to every team I work with. 

Giving back through mentorship 

Mentoring gives me a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment, I enjoy seeing others performing well. What I enjoy most is when it “clicks” - the person I am mentoring understands where they need to be, what feedback to build on, and can work towards growth and improvement. It is exciting to see how our mentorship outcomes make them enjoy work even more. 

One person from Georgia Tech reached out to me to share that she was interested in consulting. I coached her in crafting resumes and applications and maintained that mentorship with her throughout the process. She ended up receiving an offer from BCG and even now as she continues her career here, I still serve as a mentor for her on projects. We have regular sessions to talk through feedback and discuss tactical steps to work on that feedback. It’s been so fulfilling to watch her progress and perform well on the many projects she’s staffed on. 

I think coaching and mentoring is especially important as a manager. The more you invest in your team, the better output the team produces. I was also a teaming coach at BCG, and within that role, I have had the opportunity to work with many teams, see how different groups function, and provide insights into best practices to help them work together more effectively and efficiently. That experience has helped me learn even more about being a leader and growing others. 

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Learn more about  career growth at BCG.