How Trusted Peers Made a Big Difference in My Career (and How They Can Help You Too)
Have you ever wondered why some of your colleagues seem to get all the lucky breaks? Or why they seem to effortlessly come up with great ideas that catch the attention of management?
And perhaps they seem to have fewer career issues than you do, or handle them easily and come out smelling like a rose.
The odds are it’s because they have a secret weapon – one you could have too.
While the importance of having a sponsor and mentors is widely understood, most people underestimate or even overlook the power of another part of their network.
And that is a group of trusted peers.
Why trusted peers are so valuable
Trusted peers are people at a similar stage in their careers to you and they’re going through similar challenges so they understand your situation.
Since they’re not competing with you, you can turn to them in a confidential setting to talk about what’s really going on and get their help to be successful.
Whether you engage with them individually or as a group, trusted peers can help you navigate career challenges like handling difficult colleagues, negotiating for resources, pressure testing new ideas, recovering from a setback, or preparing for difficult conversations to name a few.
There were several times in my corporate days when I had to call on my trusted peers to help me through challenges.
Like Tommaso, my counterpart in the sales and trading division who was my confidential sounding board for how my proposal would be perceived by stakeholders in his division. This helped me present my ideas in a way that won their support.
And Gail and Melissa, who were in the same unit as me but on different teams. They helped me craft a strategy for dealing with a senior colleague who was spreading rumors that questioned my integrity. The strategy worked so well that not only did the rumors stop, he even called to apologize.
Who in your network would you consider as trusted peers?
If you don’t have such a group yet, take heart. Now is a great time to start building this part of your network.
What to look for in your group of trusted peers
When it comes to building your network of trusted peers, it’s about quality, not quantity. Having just a few people you can turn to is a great start. And the benefit of having a small group is it’s easier to convene.
The key is you have to be able to trust each other and each person has enough knowledge and experience to be able to help.
The main factors I consider include the following, but trust your instincts and make this your own.
1. Proximity – How close they are to your day-to-day team at work
It’s rare to feel comfortable speaking completely freely about career challenges with a colleague in your immediate team. In contrast, external peers can offer advice without bias because whatever you do or don’t do has absolutely no implications for them in their careers.
So, there’s a tradeoff between having knowledge of your context versus creating an environment where you feel safe to speak freely. In practical terms, this means focusing on colleagues internal to your organization but outside your unit, or people outside of your organization altogether.
You can even have the best of both worlds – people who understand your situation and who you trust to keep things confidential – by having an external group of peers who already know you (like former classmates who are working for other employers). Or choosing people who are at similar stages of their career and helping them get to know you and each other.
2. Diversity: The extent they bring fresh perspectives
Having a range of experiences and industries represented in your group of trusted peers can help bring new perspectives and broaden your thinking. In fact, there are significant benefits to having trusted peers who are external to your organization.
They’re more likely to see things with a fresh set of eyes and more likely to come up with novel strategies and perspectives for the issue or decision you’ve been debating.
3. Quality: How substantive a contribution they can make
This refers to their character as well as their substance. It’s about ensuring each member of your trusted group of peers is a good human who adds value to the group and is committed to helping each other succeed.
Consider the breadth and depth of their experiences, how they communicate, and the quality of their judgment. Trust your instincts and don’t take chances on someone you get a bad feeling about. It’s easy to add but hard to remove someone.
But what if you’ve been burned by trusting a peer before?
Trust takes time to build but only a fleeting moment to destroy. That’s why it’s important to take things slowly at the start of building your group of trusted peers and err on the side of caution when you’re not sure.
One idea is to take the time to do some pressure testing.
For example, choose some safer discussion topics or share something that won’t tank your career. Then listen to how they respond. Do they give good advice? Can they keep things confidential? Are they available when you need them?
Another way to build trust is to go through an experience together.
For example, attending a residential one-week leadership program with Gail and Melissa helped us get to know and trust each other. With Tommaso, it was conducting joint strategy sessions for our respective teams. And when one of us did something that bothered the other, we talked through the issue rather than let it fester.
Just don’t make the mistake of not trying at all
Even having one or two trusted peers can make all the difference when it comes to accelerating your career advancement.
Whether that’s coming up with innovative ideas that help you be seen as strategic, figuring out how to get difficult stakeholders on side, or reaffirming that you’re not the only one facing the challenges you face.
So don’t let past experiences stop you from creating your group of trusted peers.
The support of trusted peers may be just what you need to accelerate your career
You might all already have such a group, in which case congratulations. All you need to do is activate them and think about whether you’re adding the most value you can to each other.
But if you’re like most people, you don’t have a robust group of trusted peers… yet.
In this case, it’s time to make a start, even if it's just finding one or two people you can call on when you need a sounding board. Having a peer you can trust may be just what you need to get that next promotion and excel in the new role once you’re in it.
The shortcut to having a group of trusted peers
Trusted peers are even more valuable but harder to find as you progress to more senior levels.
With every promotion, there are fewer colleagues at your level and you’re increasingly likely to be vying for the same handful of senior roles. This leaves fewer people you can confide in just when a trusted sounding board would be most helpful.
If you’re a senior leader looking to succeed in a new role (or about to get promoted into one) – and you want a shortcut to forming a group of trusted peers – then I invite you to join the next cohort of my Career Mastery Leadership Accelerator program (CMLA).
This unique, personalized program equips you with the essential skills to lead at a higher level where challenges are more complex, decisions carry greater impact, and more is at stake.
And the best part of this program?
You’ll have a trusted peer group (or “Brain Trust” as we call it) you can turn to for advice and support in a confidential setting.
“My favorite aspect of the program was the sense of community. Connecting with others facing similar challenges provided me with new perspectives, ideas, and strategies to help me succeed in the next phase of my career.”
– Allison
“The Brain Trust sessions were always an inspiring experience. It was motivating. And you went away with new ideas and new tasks that you wanted to implement. It was very joyful. Plus you have May, who has been through all of this in the corporate world at the C-level herself. With May’s generosity and with her calmness and with her experience, she was able to steer us through these moments.”
– Katrin
“The quality of the group was amazing. The team built upon each other and did not hold back. May created this safe space for us to discuss any topics so I was not afraid to put myself out there.”
– Mariana
“I couldn’t appreciate more in meeting everyone in the group, and the inspiration and power they brought to me during the journey. I’m so grateful to have May and the peer group to guide me through the tough decision-making and negotiations in my career transition into a new product area.”
– Cathy
Applications are now open for Career Mastery Leadership Accelerator 2025.
This post highlights the invaluable role of trusted peers in career growth, and I couldn’t agree more with the author’s perspective. The idea that having a supportive network can offer both guidance and accountability is so important, especially when navigating challenges. It’s inspiring to read how the author leveraged these relationships to accelerate their career and gain different perspectives. It also emphasizes the power of collaboration and the impact of having people around who genuinely believe in your potential. It’s a great reminder that success is often built on strong, trust-based connections.