My Mentors Told Me to Take an HR Role Even Though I Was an Engineer. They Were Right.

In this series, professionals thank those who helped them reach where they are today. Read the posts here, then write your own. Use #ThankYourMentor and @mention your mentor when sharing.

Meetings can sometimes be intimidating when you’re young, or new to a team. You want to speak up, but fear can hold you back. That happened to me early in my career. Fortunately, a manager was watching, and pulled me aside afterward. He suggested I work on being more vocal in meetings and confidently express my point of view.

I took that professional nudge to heart, and I’ve never forgotten it. Inclusion and encouraging diverse points of view are cornerstones of how I lead.

Throughout my career, I’ve benefited greatly from the wisdom and experiences of mentors. Some executives credit one or two key people for coaching them to success, but I believe effective mentoring takes a network.

Different people see different aspects of us as we progress in our careers and handle the opportunities and challenges along the way.

I once shared with a manager my struggle with balancing professional and personal commitments. Her reply perfectly crystallized the issue: “Commitments are commitments, and honoring them demonstrates discipline.” It’s one reason I always encourage my team – women and men – to make time for their families or their personal interests. It’s all about setting priorities, and family has and always will be a priority for me.   

About six years ago during a pivotal time in our company’s history, I was asked to consider a cross-functional role – vice president of Global Human Resources. I understood the importance of the position, but I was concerned it didn’t fit my engineering and manufacturing credentials.

My mentors and confidantes weighed in with valuable and insightful feedback: They pointed out I possessed two very important attributes of the job – identifying talent and using teams to confront challenges.

I accepted the position. It turned out to be one of the most important and impactful assignments of my career, and one I might have missed if not for my mentors.

When building your network of mentors, be honest about your mid- and long-term career goals, and how hard you are willing to work to achieve them. Then turn to those who best know you and your work. Earn their respect and trust so they will extend their personal capital to you with confidence and be your professional champion.

All good leaders should be invested in the career growth of their team members, but don’t always look high when creating your mentor network. Colleagues have great insights about you that you may have overlooked.

And if mentors have invested their time in you, I hope you’ll consider paying it forward and be a mentor. It feels great – and you never know where your “students” will land.