Critical Careers - Women Building Careers in Digital Infrastructure - Book - Page 95
What role have mentors and allies played in
your career and what have you learned about
the kind of support people really need?
Mentorship has shaped my career at every stage. I have had male and female
mentors, both inside and outside the businesses I have worked in, and I have
been incredibly lucky in that. I always say to people now that you do not
need just one mentor and you do not need one type of mentor. You need a
broad mix of perspectives, experiences and styles.
That is what helps you become rounded. If you only listen to one kind of
person, you can end up being shaped into one mould. I have worked for
managers who all did things very differently, and I have taken pieces from
each of them. Some parts suited me, some did not. Over time, that is how
you build your own style.
The other thing I learned is that allies matter just as much as mentors. When I
昀椀rst went into the US market, even after 23 years in the industry, I still needed
people to help open doors, make introductions and help me 昀椀nd my feet.
That is what allies do. They help you step into a new room with con昀椀dence.
So when I speak to younger women now, I always tell them to 昀椀nd your
mentors and your allies. That is what helps you progress. And then from
there, you 昀椀nd your voice.
“Find your mentors and your
allies. That is what helps you
progress. And then from there,
you 昀椀nd your voice.”
At what point did you realise you had an
opportunity to make a difference for the
younger women coming into the industry
after you?
I think it came quite naturally from my own experience. Because I had
been so well supported, I always felt a responsibility to do the same for
others. I have a lot of people come to me asking if I would mentor them,
especially younger women starting out in business development, and I
always say yes where I can.
For me, it is very simple. If someone helped make my path easier, why
would I not do that for someone else?
I also think you do see where people struggle. You see the uncertainty,
the lack of con昀椀dence, the feeling of not knowing where you 昀椀t or how
to progress. That is why I care a lot about helping women 昀椀nd their
con昀椀dence and their own voice. It is not about telling them exactly what
to do. It is about helping them get there faster, with more support and
with fewer unnecessary barriers.
What responsibility comes with having
in昀氀uence and how consciously do you think
about that?
I think the responsibility is to use your experience to make the path
clearer for someone else.
I do not believe in making people struggle just because you had to. If you
have learned something, if you have seen what works and what does not,
then share it. That does not mean doing everything for someone or telling
them exactly what to do. It means guiding, being honest, helping them
think, and helping them avoid making things harder than they need to be.
That is how I mentor people now. I do not sit there telling them what to
do. I ask questions and get them to talk through their role, what they
want, how they would approach it. Then I bring in my experience and
share what worked and what didn’t.
In昀氀uence, for me, is not about having all the answers. It is about helping
other people develop their own.
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