10 Most Impactful Learnings From My 25 Years at Microsoft

Recently, I celebrated my 25th work anniversary with Microsoft. I am beyond blessed to be surrounded by an amazing team, a supportive family, and a company whose mission is to empower every person and organization to achieve more. As I reflect on the last 25 years, I’m reminded of all the learning I have done and the boundless opportunities I’ve had to grow. There are many valuable lessons I have learned along the way, and I’d like to share my 10 most impactful learnings with you.

1. Brand – Your personal brand has never been more important. It represents the unique combination of skills, experience and values that make you who you are. Protect your personal brand by owning your narrative and staying consistent.
2. Patience – Being patient can be difficult but learning to embrace where you are while you’re there is transformative. Remember your career is a marathon not a sprint. Good things take time to materialize. Having realistic expectations, pacing yourself and celebrating your progress over time is a sure way of going further.
3. Balance - It's possible to have a meaningful career and a fulfilling personal life. The key is finding the right balance between both.?We are at our best when we take care of ourselves, which starts with finding balance. We are wired to fully "lean-in" and in the process we often lose sight of this holistic view of ourselves. Learning to "turn-off" is an important skill that allows us to thrive and frees up the much needed mental and emotional space to function at our best.
4. Preparation – As a life-long runner, I have learned early on that preparation is critical for success. Zig Ziglar's quote continues to ring true " Success occurs when preparation meets opportunity"?Whether you are running a race, undertaking a new initiative, meeting with a customer, it is really important that you invest time to do the prework. It takes time to build this habit but it always pays back in dividends.
5. Empathy - Leading with empathy is one of the most important lessons I've learned. An empathetic leader who cares is a leader who can be trusted and sets the tone to create an unbeatable team. Continue to lead with patience and understanding, you never know what people are going through.
6. Grit - Career progression is not linear and there is not always a traditional path forward. Grit, and determination will take you a long way and help you overcome any obstacles along the journey. Leading with perseverance allows us to overcome setbacks and reinvent ourselves along the journey.?
7. Mindset –?One of the most important factors influencing our success is mindset! It is all about perspective and leading with a can-do attitude. A growth mindset represents the primary trait that allows us to build mental toughness, embrace learnings, fail fast and stay steadfast in our determination to succeed.
8. Gratitude - Gratitude builds resilience, fosters teamwork and drives innovation. Showing appreciation goes a long way in building thriving teams and organizations. I would not be where I am today without practicing gratitude frequently.
9. Risk Taking- Oftentimes, opportunities that scare us are the ones that propel us the furthest. It's important to believe in your own abilities and have the courage to cross the chasm. Don't second guess yourself, embrace opportunities as they come your way. Fail fast and move on!
10. Having Fun – People often take themselves too seriously! They focus too much on achieving goals and in the process forget to have fun! Contrary to common believe, learning to embrace fun is critical on our journey to achieve goals. Finding joy is not an end to the journey, it is an ongoing, active process that fuels our energy, improves our satisfaction and allows us to bring our best to every situation every day.