“The wind howling through the Topi hills was the only constant noise for four years,” Durdana Achakzai recalls. “In a place that intense, you learn to tune out the noise, both literally and figuratively, and focus only on the signal.” That ability to find clarity amidst chaos, she explains, was the most valuable, non-technical skill GIKI instilled in her.
She remembers a period of overwhelming coursework, where the sheer volume of work led to paralysis. “My mentor told me, ‘Stop looking at the mountain, and just focus on the next step down.’ That shift in perspective changed everything.”
Today, as a leader shaping strategy at a global organization, she uses that same wisdom daily. She excels at untangling complex, messy corporate landscapes by applying the focused, relentless logic she mastered in the GIKI labs. For Durdana, leadership isn’t about knowing all the answers; it’s about asking the simplest, most fundamental questions. “When the professional noise gets too loud,” she concludes, “I just close my eyes and I’m back in Topi, listening for the signal.”