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BCG's Dhar: High-Agency Mindset Drives Workplace Success
BCG's Julia Dhar says a 'high-agency mindset' — seeking clarity and building skills — predicts success more than pedigree. Early agency signals lead to faster promotions.
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BCG's North America leader of people and organization practice, Julia Dhar, says success increasingly comes down to what she calls a "high-agency mindset" – the ability to seek clarity about one's role and build new skills as the workplace shifts.
The comment, made during a recent interview, points to a broader pattern in how professional services firms evaluate talent. Dhar described high-agency employees as those who do not wait for instructions but instead find ways to create value within ambiguous assignments.
"They see a problem and they start trying to solve it," she said. "They don't ask for permission."
The framing echoes findings from BCG's own research on workforce agility. In a 2024 survey, the firm found that organizations with higher rates of internal skill-building and role clarity reported 22% better retention among top performers. Dhar's emphasis on agency over pedigree suggests the firm is shifting how it identifies leadership potential internally.