Achieve Your Full Potential

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Mentorship is something with which I have been privileged to be involved, both as a mentor and a mentee. With our next 4word Mentor Program session coming up in a few weeks, I wanted to share with you the story of one of my long time friends and mentees, Craig Robinson,    president of the United States division of Colliers International. Through our mentorship, I was able to see Craig’s professional future shaped in the direction he desired for it to go. Read his story and determine if you should seek out a mentor in the new year!

– Diane Paddison, 4word founder

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4word: How did having a mentor impact your life?

Craig: Few people have had more of an impact on my personal and professional development than Diane Paddison. Several years ago, I graduated from Harvard Business School and was a young African American associate at Trammell Crow Company where Diane was a division president. Diane was well known for her passion towards diversity, talent development, and connecting believers in the company. I feel a special gratitude towards Diane who not only encouraged me to realize my full potential at Trammell Crow but also to see God’s hand in the path ahead of me.

 

4word: In what ways did Diane’s mentorship affect your career?

Craig: Diane’s encouragement and support at Trammell Crow helped me play a key role in growing the Corporate Services practice, and I eventually helped launch and lead Trammell Crow’s National Government and Public Sector practice.

IMG_9128Years after both Diane and I left Trammell Crow, she continued to have an impact on my professional development and played a key role in bringing me to Cassidy Turley, another real estate services firm where Diane served as CSO and advisor to its executive leadership. Due in large part to Diane’s sponsorship and advocacy, the executive leadership of the company brought me on as President of Corporate Services. Having a senior leadership position at a young age (I was 35 at the time) can be challenging. I would have succumbed to at least a dozen traps, but Diane coached me on leadership effectiveness, navigating corporate politics, and most of all, having faith in God’s purpose for me when times got tough.

 

4word: What tangible results have you seen from such coaching and sponsorship?

Craig: In just under five years, we helped build one of the most successful companies in the industry, and Cassidy Turley’s Corporate Services division has grown by nearly 300 million square feet of new clients. More important than any professional accomplishment, Diane has helped me see and realize my own personal and professional potential. She has encouraged me to stretch beyond what was comfortable or perhaps obvious for a young and emerging leader. Moreover, her example has inspired me to play a similar role in the careers of other young (and not so young) leaders, particularly minorities and women.

 

4word: In your opinion, what is the value of having such a long-lasting mentoring relationship?

Craig: From my days as a young associate to my current role leading a national business unit, Diane has consistently been a source of inspiration, encouragement, and mentorship. I will always think of Diane as being my own spiritual mother, sister, and friend in Christ. The value is not only in the tangible career results but also in my personal and spiritual growth. Having a mentor like Diane for all these years has been invaluable to me.

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The results of mentoring often extend far beyond the workplace. A good mentor knows how to give you advice and direction that not only impacts your career but also shapes you emotionally and spiritually. These relationships are worth seeking, and once found, holding onto.

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As President, Craig Robinson leads the U.S. operations of Colliers International Group Inc., representing nearly $1B in annual revenue and 5,000 real estate professionals. He’s responsible for managing all day-to-day aspects of the business including operations, strategic initiatives, mergers and acquisitions and business development. In this role, Craig leverages his considerable real estate experience from corporate and occupier services, to banking, equity real estate investment, and capital markets.