As an Aspire, I had the opportunity to attend a Mentorship Panel with Microsoft Canada’s Senior Executives and learn about the importance of mentorship. Inspired by the impact that they’ve made in their careers, I listened intensely to the words of wisdom that came from decades of growth, experience, and reflection.

I heard that 76% of working professionals believe that mentors are important for growth, but more than 50% of people don’t have mentors. The advice that I am passing along today is ageless and will be relevant today, tomorrow, and 10 years from now.

As part of the Mentorship Series, Kevin Peesker, President of Microsoft Canada, shares his thoughts below.

The best mentor is not someone who is 5 levels above you, but someone who more recently did the role that you want to do.

Back in the day, mentorship programs weren’t that prevalent. In fact, Kevin went through 3 quarters of his career without looking for formal mentorship. However, as he reflected upon his career path, he did have people in his life who embodied the “Mentor” persona.

According to Kevin, his mentors asked him the harder questions that pushed him outside of his comfort zone:

• What is it that you want to achieve?
• What do you need to do to achieve that?
• What are the gaps that you need to spend time filling?
• What’s your action plan?
• What are you waiting for?

These conversations led him to realize that he wanted to run a company one day. Fast forward to today, Kevin runs a multi-billion-dollar tech enterprise that empowers millions of Canadians to achieve more at home, in school, and at work.

At the core of mentorship, you need healthy dialogue and discussion. A great mentor is someone who can:

• Be a safe place for you to go to when you are stuck and put you (not the company) first
• Share their experiences from a lens that you haven’t seen through before
• Ask you the right questions to make you pause, think, and get you to come to a position of understanding
• Coach you through decisions instead of telling you what to do
• Advocate for you behind closed doors and put their reputation on the line (because you’ve earned it)

Sometimes, your mentors can become your career sponsors. Kevin believes that being a sponsor is a core role of every leader. Great sponsors are open, engaged, and build trust with those around them. They also advocate for high potential talent when they see it. Mid-career, one of Kevin’s leaders pushed him to understand his weaknesses and then fill those gaps by leveraging his superpowers.

Advice for Early-in-Careers

You can’t manage others until you can manage yourself. Hold yourself accountable for your work, actions, and results.

Know yourself. Do a skills inventory (e.g. Myers Briggs) to find what complements your skillset and what you need to scale on.

Be prepared. When going into conversations, always have a point of view on the topic and prepare good questions to have an open and engaging dialogue.

Don’t just focus on their title. Leaders can see through this when you’re looking for mentorship.

Follow up. Continue following up until you get an answer. Demonstrate your progress, stay engaged, and own the relationship with your mentors.

Growth mindset. The best you can do is learn a little more each day. Do this with humility and without ego.

Take risks. Sometimes, fear holds you back from taking the steps that are the most exciting. Remember that your career is built on incremental risk taking. It’s a way to learn and stretch yourself beyond the day-to-day.

Network. Utilize your external network for a balanced perspective on your life and career. Be active in the community and learn from others.

Don’t get in your own way. Oftentimes, we get in the way of our own aspirations. Many male, and especially female contributors, question if they are ready for the next role. Focus on building your capabilities and impacting the world in your own unique way. Go for it!

Happiness is good for the body. Grief develops the powers of the mind.

Thank you to Kevin for sharing these wonderful insights from his wonderful and enriching career. Please stay tuned for the next posts in this Mentorship Moments @ Microsoft series featuring Alec Taylor – VP of Industry Solutions Consulting, Zia Mansoor – VP Customer Success, and Suzanne Gagliese – VP Global Partner Solutions.

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