Creating a Culture of Courage: Deloitte’s Doug Beaudoin On How Authenticity Benefits People and Profits in the Workplace
An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Trust in Your Team: Build a culture of mutual respect. When I took on the role of CIO, I worked with a diverse team I hadn’t met in person. By respecting each team member’s experience and fostering a collaborative environment, we were able to build a high-performing team despite the physical distance.
In today’s social media filled, fast-paced world, authenticity in the workplace and in our personal lives has become more difficult to come by. Business leaders must focus on the bottom line of profits and corporate success, but does that have to be at the expense of the authenticity of their employees? I believe it is quite the opposite. I know from my own experience that a culture of authenticity allows the hiring of a team that will bring their all to the workplace. That fosters innovation, creativity and a level of success that few companies dream of. Yet, fostering an environment where individuals feel secure enough to express their true selves remains a challenge. The importance of authenticity cannot be overstated — it is the foundation of trust, innovation, and strong relationships. However, creating such a culture requires intention, understanding, and actionable strategies. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Doug Beaudoin.
As Managing Principal Clients & Markets — Chief Growth Officer, Doug leads the Clients & Markets Growth organization bringing the breadth of Deloitte’s service capabilities and assets to the market, while deepening client relationships, creating differentiation through industry, and elevating the Deloitte brand. He previously served as Deloitte’s Chief Information Officer where he was responsible for accelerating innovation in Deloitte’s portfolios and driving digital transformation advantages in the marketplace. Doug has also served as the Vice Chairman, National Managing Principal for Deloitte’s Life Sciences and Health Care (LSHC) practice in Consulting, the Global LSHC Consulting Industry Leader, and the Consulting leader for the Deloitte Private client segment.
Doug is a dedicated champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion and he is passionate about mentoring and career coaching. He is a board member of City Year. Doug lives near Boston with his husband and their three children.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
From a young age, I was drawn to healthcare. I was no doubt inspired by my mother who was a nurse and dedicated to helping people. This passion for healthcare shaped many of my early career choices. I began working in roles that allowed me to contribute to the health and safety of others, including being a first-aid supervisor at an amusement park and an ambulance driver in Canada.
I thought hard about becoming a doctor, but wanted a profession that would have a broader business impact within the healthcare industry. This led me to pursue an MBA in health administration, which then opened the door to a role in consulting. In one of my roles, I helped implement electronic medical records at some of our nation’s top hospitals and clinics. This unique opportunity to blend my passion for healthcare with technology enabled me to significantly expand my reach and allowed me to improve the quality and reliability of care for millions of patients. After seeing impact like that, I was hooked!
That journey in technology consulting led to opportunities to lead client teams, develop innovative solutions for clients, and eventually oversee entire practices within Deloitte. Working at Deloitte, I learned about the incredible ways we can help our clients and our people achieve their full potential.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
One of the most interesting and challenging experiences in my career came when I was asked to lead Deloitte’s technology team and I assumed the role of CIO for Deloitte about one month before COVID-19 hit. Suddenly, I found myself in a new role and leading a technology transformation in the midst of a global pandemic.
We needed to quickly transition 100,000+ practitioners to a virtual work environment. I had to rapidly adapt, develop innovative solutions to the challenges that arose and — to make it truly remarkable — I had to do all of this while leading an incredible team of IT leaders whom I had never met in person.
I’m proud to say that despite the lack of face-to-face interaction, we were able to establish a very high-performing team that navigated countless obstacles together.
You are a successful individual. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Three character traits that have been most instrumental to my success are trust, honesty, and loyalty.
First, trust is foundational. Mutual respect and trust of others are crucial in any leadership role. When I establish or join a team, building trust is always the first thing on my mind. This was especially true when I took on my role as CIO at the onset of the pandemic. My ability to build trust virtually as a new leader was critical to the success of our team.
Second, honesty is vital. I believe in transparency, openness, and a willingness to listen. Equally important is expecting honesty from my team. There will always be obstacles to overcome and hurdles to jump. But when the expectation for honesty is in place, we can all maintain a calm demeanor and be open in sharing feedback. I encourage my team to share the full truth with me, even when that information is challenging. This openness allows us to address issues head-on and come to effective solutions together.
Lastly, loyalty is a trait I deeply value. I believe in giving loyalty and earning it in return. It’s about a willingness to contribute to the success of others, teaming together for the greater good. By fostering a culture of loyalty, where everyone feels valued and supported, we often find our collective efforts lead to success.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you share a pivotal moment in your career or personal life when being authentic made a significant impact on your success or well-being?
A pivotal moment in my life came when I decided to start a family with my husband. For many years, I was not ‘out’ as a gay man at work. This was a challenging period because I felt I had to hide who I was in order to be professionally successful, which impacted my sense of authenticity and well-being.
When my husband and I decided to start a family, it became essential for me to be more open about my family and home life. This decision required me to embrace authenticity and share a part of myself that I had kept private for too long. It was a significant and sometimes daunting transition, but it was also incredibly liberating.
Being out at work has had a profound impact on my personal and professional life. It has allowed me to build deeper, more genuine relationships with my colleagues and given me the welcome opportunity to foster a more inclusive environment for all.
Deloitte’s recent Uncovering Culture: A call to action for leaders survey explores the crucial role leaders play in disrupting a culture of “covering” — that is, downplaying known disfavored identities to fit into mainstream corporate cultures.
Now, as a leader at Deloitte, I strive to be a role model for others — the one I so often felt I needed in my early career. By being my authentic self, I hope to inspire others to do the same.
What strategies have you found most effective in fostering an environment where employees or team members feel safe to express their true selves, including their ideas, concerns, and aspirations?
For me, creating an environment where everyone feels safe to be themselves starts with authenticity. When I decided to be open about my own life and experiences, it changed the dynamics around me and created more opportunity for others to be authentic with me.
I feel people need to see their leaders being real and genuine — it makes a huge difference. It builds the trust that is so vital for creating safe spaces. In my experience, when my team sees that I trust them, it encourages them to open up and share their thoughts and ideas.
I am also big on transparency. Being open about challenges, decisions, and changes helps to build a culture where honesty is the norm.
It all comes down to leading by example. When I’m open with you, it’s my hope that I am creating a space for you to be open with me. As leaders, I think it is so important to create these supportive environments where everyone feels safe to be themselves and contribute fully.
How do you navigate the challenges that come with encouraging authenticity in a diverse workplace, where different backgrounds and perspectives may sometimes lead to conflict?
One of the key approaches I rely on is assuming positive intent. When you start with the belief that everyone is acting with good intentions, it creates a foundation of respect and understanding.
In a diverse workplace, differing perspectives are natural. I always encourage my team to assume positive intent and approach each situation with the understanding that everyone is trying to contribute their best.
If conflicts arise, I find it’s best to address them with open and honest communication.
Many times, the differing perspective we encounter can even be a springboard to finding a better, more effective solution. When we fully understand the various facets of a challenge and come at it with collaboration in mind, we can enrich our collective decision-making process.
Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways to Create a Culture Where People Feel Safe to be Authentic?” What strategies have you found most effective in fostering an environment where employees or team members feel safe to express their true selves, including their ideas, concerns, and aspirations?
1. Lead by Example: As a leader, you set the tone for your team or organization. When I decided to be open about my family and my identity, it inspired others to bring their authentic selves to work. In Deloitte’s “Uncovering Culture” survey, respondents were asked to identify interventions that had helped them reduce the need to cover at work, two of the top responses were “teammates who uncover” and “leaders who uncover.” Workers often feel more empowered to uncover themselves when they observe colleagues doing so.
2. Encourage Open Communication: Create spaces where team members can express their ideas, concerns, and aspirations. I am always asking my team for their honest feedback and my ability to receive it and take action on it creates a truly collaborative environment that helps overcome obstacles and get to solutions.
3. Be Transparent: Being honest and open about organizational goals, decisions, and changes helps build trust. During the pandemic, I held regular virtual town halls and open forums where employees could share feedback about their challenges and needs. This practice helped us address issues in real-time and showed everyone that their input was valued.
4. Trust in Your Team: Build a culture of mutual respect. When I took on the role of CIO, I worked with a diverse team I hadn’t met in person. By respecting each team member’s experience and fostering a collaborative environment, we were able to build a high-performing team despite the physical distance.
5. Offer Support: We’re all in this together and taking an active interest in the personal and professional development of our team members makes them feel seen and valued. At Deloitte, we offer a host of development/mentorship opportunities and well-being resources to support our professionals’ wholistic growth and allow them to fully and authentically contribute.
In your opinion, how does authenticity within an organization influence its relationship with customers, clients, or the broader community?
When an organization embraces authenticity, it’s building a foundation of trust and credibility that permeates through its every interaction. I believe Henry Ford is quoted as saying, “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” That quote resonates with me.
When an organization is open about its values, clients and customers are more likely to trust and engage with it and feel confident about doing so. It can also create a greater connection to the community, because it shows the organization is not just a business, it is a responsible part of the social ecosystem. Authenticity creates a ripple effect that strengthens these meaningful relationships and contributes to long-term success.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
With my background in healthcare, I would like to start a movement that combines my passion for technology, relationships, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Perhaps a digital health startup focused on revolutionizing healthcare and creating solutions that improve patient care and address equitable access to healthcare.
How can our readers further follow you online?
Follow me on LinkedIn!
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.
