Principles that shape my journey as an energy industry leader

You may not know this about me, but I kind of stumbled into the energy sector.

As a chemistry pre-med student, I had to rethink my career aspirations when I discovered I had an aversion to blood. Thankfully, a summer internship at Amoco led to a two-month geology field camp in Colorado—an experience that inspired me to earn a master’s in geology and geophysics.

Fast-forward thirty years, I am delighted to be at Microsoft where our mission is to help every person and organization on the planet achieve more—a mission that would not be possible without energy. Empowering customers and partners to intelligently fulfill the world’s growing energy demand with cleaner, renewable sources—and make clean energy accessible to all communities across the globe—is what motivates me.

Of course, the energy transition is no small undertaking. How do we solve the climate challenge while still meeting growing global energy demand and providing equal access to all communities? It will take collaboration, focus, empathy, integrity, relentless prioritization—and no small amount of innovation. It also takes leadership.

My experiences over the years have taught me a lot about leadership. I have found that there are countless opportunities to spark change and influence trajectory beyond your official job title. Whether running a United Way campaign or working as a geoscience recruiter at BP, I never allowed my job title to limit my ability to lead. Nor should you.

The fact is that anyone in any role can demonstrate and hone their leadership skills and make a difference. Below, I want to share a little bit about my personal journey and some key learnings that I apply today to help drive action and impact.

Build and nurture a team of experts

A great mentor once told me, “If you’re the smartest person in the room, it’s time to find another room.” In other words, if you are not surrounding yourself with talented and skilled people who challenge you, it’s time to rethink your recruiting strategy.

I love working with people who are way smarter than me. This is one of the reasons that I joined Microsoft. Microsoft has nurtured a diversely talented ecosystem of thinkers and innovators across every organization who are addressing some massive challenges, including the energy transition.

My role as a leader is to nurture a team of experts and then orchestrate these brilliant individuals—much like conducting a symphony. My job is to clarify vision, set the tempo, and focus efforts. This means coordinating with my teams to choose two or three priorities, building a targeted strategy, and unifying our team to work together seamlessly. It also involves supporting and encouraging each person and recognizing and building upon their strengths.

When working with customers, partners, and other stakeholders, I always clarify our objectives, so that we are all on the same page, working toward the same goal. I always emphasize relentless prioritization. This kind of focus and clarity leads to greater impact.

Create a sense of urgency 

At the same time, to effect meaningful impact, there must be a sense of urgency for action. While I’ve learned lessons in urgency throughout my career, this principle became especially relevant following the Deepwater Horizon accident.

At the time, I was a spokesperson for BP and led the claims process. One of the biggest, most immediate impacts we could make was to expedite financial help for those whose lives and livelihoods were affected by the disaster. It was crucial to listen with empathy, remove barriers, and act with urgency and transparency.

Urgency also played a key role during my time as president of BP’s oil and gas business in Angola. We partnered with the country to provide energy to a nation that so desperately needed it. It was humbling to see how much we take for granted in much of the world, where we worry about a second or third TV, when for many places, having one TV, let alone reliable access to electricity to use it, is a real luxury.  

Instilling a sense of urgency motivated our teams to take swift action to deliver energy to underserved communities. As a result, schools and libraries were opened, bringing literacy to many people. Taking small steps with urgency, ultimately led to big impacts.

Today, we are in a race to reduce the impacts of global warming and accelerate the energy transition. In a world where energy is required by all, how we continue to provide energy while reducing emissions is one of the most fundamental challenges we face. The energy transition is a monumental project, but to get to the desired outcome successfully, I believe in focusing on immediate, actionable, and impactful steps with our customers and partners. The goal is to make measurable progress and swiftly drive interim results and benefits that can be built upon. This approach also surfaces unforeseen challenges along the way, enabling course correction and building credibility as you deliver. 

Lead with integrity and empathy

Integrity is like oxygen. If you lead with it, people will give you the space to deliver. I think back to the time Wolf Blitzer interviewed me. He asked a pointed question, which I unhesitatingly answered. Following the interview, I was taken aback when Wolf told me he was not expecting me to be so forthright.

By being transparent, keeping your promises, telling the hard truths, and leading by example, you earn trust. This is especially true in times of crisis. Bringing clarity and focus to my actions and earning credibility through delivery is what I strive for every day.

Likewise, leading with empathy is also important. Empathy means listening to others, so that they know they are heard. It means being vulnerable and apologizing for your mistakes. It means putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and making decisions with compassion. When you act with empathy, you not only earn trust, you gain a broader perspective that drives the right actions.

Today, as we deal with the global health pandemic, empathy and integrity have never been more critical. At Microsoft, we are listening with empathy to understand and respond to our customers’ and partners’ business challenges and needs. We are focusing on what we can do to improve their situation now and in the future.

I’m grateful for the lessons and opportunities over the years that have shaped my perspective and helped me to make a greater impact, regardless of my job title. And while these are just a few of the principles that have shaped my journey, for me, they have been the most empowering.

I look forward to continuing this important conversation. I invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter for additional discussion around the energy transition and leadership.