Dring my 26 years with Monsanto, I’ve been fortunate to have many opportunities to do good work, both for the company and in the community, while building diverse skills and growing professionally along the way. I credit much of this to the support of strong mentors.

Mentors have always been important in my life, and from the very early days of my career I have sought their advice, shared challenges and celebrated milestones with them. Mentors encouraged me to set bold goals, step up to challenging assignments and recognize that growth comes in many forms: learning, broadening experiences, stretching oneself and giving back to others.

I began my career as an information technology programmer and over the years benefited from many different roles in that discipline, including serving as information systems manager and eventually chief information officer. But through the support of my company and mentors, my career path has taken me into different areas of business as well. Roles that I have performed outside of what I considered my traditional career path have allowed me to learn and grow the most, including a temporary assignment leading human resources.

Today, in addition to my primary role as chief of staff, I have the opportunity to oversee our community relations activities and our business services organization. I am able to share my passion for giving back by helping shape our charitable giving and volunteer programs and as a mentor in my company. Each of us can give by sharing our talents, ideas and time. We can make a tremendous positive impact both in our workplaces and in our communities.

In addition to volunteering externally, I encourage people to volunteer internally for special projects or assignments. These opportunities provide a chance to work with other people, explore new business areas and allow your colleagues to see you in a different light. You might see your own capabilities differently or discover talents that can lead to new opportunities you may never have thought of pursuing.

At the end of the day, I firmly believe that results really matter. No matter what you do personally or professionally, give your all and go above and beyond whenever you can.