You never know the true influence
of your actions and how what you did
—for better or worse—
might come back to you years later.
Between 2009-2014,
I worked on about a dozen different projects
for Microsoft, helping senior executives
craft and deliver high stakes presentations.
Among them: Jon Roskill, a Corporate VP
who was in charge of the
Worldwide Partner Conference
(otherwise known as “WPC”)—
one of Microsoft’s annual mega events.
Here’s Jon on stage…
Envision this:
17,000 enterprise partners
in an arena-sized venue
with tens of thousands more
tuning in via livestream.
A week before
the 2013 WPC conference,
I was asked if I could also lead
a small breakout session
for Emerging Leaders.
I was happy to help.
The venue was tiny by comparison:
a cramped low-ceilinged room
with folding metal chairs
for roughly 100 people.
While WPC catered to C-level execs,
the Emerging Leaders Track
was conceived and organized by
three young up-and-comers
who wanted to create a series
for reps like them to learn
critical communication tools
to help them advance to the executive level.
That was 11 years ago,
and last month, it all came back:
one of the young session organizers
contacted me to inquire about my speaking
at his own annual conference.
As it turns out, since 2013, he’s built
a sizable company of his own.
When we connected on Zoom
last week, he referenced
some of what I shared
in the Emerging Leaders breakout session,
the advice I gave him…
and the influence it had on his career.
“You were instrumental in my being where I am today.”
(Yessss…I got choked up.)
It was a powerful reminder about
the value of supporting those
who may not be “center stage” yet.
You never know the ultimate effect that
your guidance could have,
and how a few words of encouragement
from you can influence
the course of someone else’s life.
How you show up
and how you treat everyone
makes a difference.
Risk Forward & Rock On,
P.S. This experience was also a good reminder to reach out to those individuals whose guidance and words of support have shaped our lives or careers for the better. What if you messaged one of those people this week? It would likely mean more than you can possibly imagine…
