I’m Irina Ghose, head of Modern Workplaces at Microsoft, and this is how I Lead from Within
Irina Ghose, Country Head – Modern Workplace at Microsoft, is as eloquent as she is insightful. With nearly 24 years in the industry, she has held prestigious leadership roles and been awarded the Inspirational Women’s Award at Microsoft. Her advice, offered with thought and care for future action, is like a gift that keeps on giving. In this interview she talks about mentorship, the skills that steered her leadership journey, and how careers are not a race – we all win.
My Mentors Shaped Me
Growing up, my father encouraged me to experiment. He urged me to view future possibilities with an open mind. He ensured that I met people and read books, encyclopedias and diverse publications on all kinds of matters. That exposure piqued my curiosity and taught me how to think big.
Professionally, Karan Bajwa, the then General Manager of Enterprise at Microsoft, turned my game around. During my interview for the lead role in the Education segment at Microsoft, I told him that I was not sure of the profile since my background up until then had largely been in sales and business. What mattered to him though was my skill of taking on diverse projects and delivering on them. His conviction to take a chance on me and invest in me was extremely motivating. My three year stint at that role turned out to be one of the most enjoyable in my career. I realised later that seeing Karan’s belief in my capabilities even before I came onboard the project gave me a head start – it truly helped remove all self doubt from my mind.
On Identifying a Mentor
I used to admire how Karan would plan long term as well as short-term execution with equal finesse. It was not just the work that he did but how he would mobilise the entire team and the ecosystem to generate momentum towards a goal. I learnt immensely from how Karan would set a vision, align the team to it and go for it; not just leading from the front but pushing the pack from the back too.
When trying to identify a mentor I ask myself what is the skill that I want to hone and, accordingly, I choose someone who reflects that skill. I then ask them to help me understand how they practise it and, in some cases, how they mastered it. It takes time to imbibe a new skill. So I go back to them after a while and ask if they have noticed a change in the way I behave, and if they have noticed me demonstrate the skill – this last step is the most crucial.
How I Mentor
When someone asks me to coach them or be their mentor, I ask them what trait they want to learn. I ask them what their next career goal is and the lack of a particular characteristic that has been stopping them from reaching it. But the most important question that I ask them is what they are doing today to build that trait. After that, all I do is nudge their thought process to involve that particular skill. Once they start thinking differently, my job is done.
My Core Values
> People first: I invest dedicated time to ensure that my team feels engaged and connected to the goal, towards which they are working. And that they feel like they have a future in the organisation. I do the best that I can to keep their enthusiasm for life and work up, every day. Similarly, when a customer has an issue with our product or service, I ensure a prompt and sincere response.
> Authenticity: It’s important for me to come across as me – a person who is meaning to make a difference in every aspect of the work that she does. Being authentic builds credibility. So I ensure that what I know, what I say, what I deliver and what I will be known for, are all in alignment.
> Lapping up experiences: Between my social causes, fitness routine and work-life integration, I fill my plate to the brim. And somehow things don’t topple – people provide help, schedules work out – and I end up achieving most of what I set out to do.
Skills to Succeed
> Striking a balance between the now and the future: You need to simultaneously keep an eye on the transformational changes, which have long-term effects, and what needs to be done at the moment. What helped me create greater impact was to take up a few transformational projects that were relevant to the ongoing business but that also mobilised the collective power of Microsoft. You must know how to accelerate the now and own the future.
> Prioritising: Nowadays the priorities of our businesses change frequently. It’s important to prioritise what needs prioritization at a given time. I believe it is important to deliver impact in what you are currently doing and then move on to the next goal, and work towards that.
> Staying open and alert: It is naive to define your next role because you can’t be certain about the opportunities that are going to exist six months from today. Instead, stay open and cued in to what is happening in your organisation so that you are able to preempt opportunities and trends. Once you have a pulse on the future trends, learn more about them and develop a point of view. The latter demonstrates that you are in the now of things, and will get you a seat at the table when new opportunities show up.
On Professional Learning
> I consciously invest time into learning; I recently studied a course on design thinking from MIT and another from Copenhagen Business School on digital transformation. To stay relevant and hone your intellectual capability, you must enrol in certain high-intensity courses that get you into learner mode. When you upskill or upgrade, there are a lot of things which you suddenly start implementing at work – most of all your enhanced way of thinking.
> Take up projects that give you the opportunity to shadow roles or learn from your peers across the industry. That will provide you insight on what they are doing differently to make an impact.
As a role model, be humble and relatable. Women role models are few and far in between, and most of them portray themselves to be special and flawless. This is counterproductive. Instead, share your truth with other women. Tell them that you are just like them because you are! You have similar issues, aspirations and expectations. Remind them that if you can do it, they can do it too.
Advice for Young Women Leaders
Everybody wants to create a difference when they first enter the workforce; they want to show early success. But that’s not natural. It’s great to be aspirational and ambitious but what is important to remember is that there is no race – you just win. What I mean by that is don’t create pressure for yourself by setting the next goal, designation or material status-symbol that you need to acquire. What you should do in the early years of your career is (over) invest in your learning.
If you think taking up a particular project will impart you differential learning, give you the chance to network, explore your potential, and learn you what you don’t already know – go for it! In your early years there should be no fear because there is no risk at that time. So invest in learning as much as you can, as fast as you can, and keep doing that throughout your career. Imagine that you are preparing for a long-distance marathon – every learning you acquire is a milestone, not the finish line.
