Connecting with Abigail Disney

How have relationships influenced your professional development and leadership style??

Relationships are everything?in terms of my leadership style because if you don't attend to the people around you as?people, then what are we doing here on this earth??I came into the work I do because of friends recommending that I learn about this or that. I developed my passion for issues because of friends?and mentors and even idols who took the time to let me in on their interests and secrets. As I've gone on to be a mentor and employer myself, I try to remember all that those mentors and friends were gracious enough to teach me, and to offer?the same grace to those that work for me.?

Do?you?have any tips for maintaining and building strong relationships??

It sounds basic to say so, but just making sure that the?people you want to build relationships with know that you care enough to genuinely listen to them, that you are interested?in their lives and stories, and that while offices might need hierarchies, they are bad for building authenticity between people, and pretty d*mn bad for the people at the top of them.??

How have?you?intentionally built inclusiveness into your circles??

I try to bring a conscious intention to the spaces I?walk into that?offer the opportunity to make new relationships.?Sometimes?the people sitting around the edges of a circle are the most interesting?people there.?I try to be conscious of the ways in which I can be intimidating (just because of my name and position) and take the air of that early in a conversation.?I also try to pay attention to what?it might feel like to be them in whatever situation they are in,?because my upbringing and education did not prepare me well to understand many different kinds of lives other than my own.??

What community or communities are?you?proud to be a part of??

I love to be part of a huge movement of people working to make the world a better place.?That might sound anodyne, but not everyone in the not-for-profit world necessarily fits that description.?You can tell pretty early when you've met a genuine fellow traveler, or when you've met a faker.?By "fellow traveler" I'm more talking about the person's underlying values than their politics.?My fellow travelers, or, as you put it, my community, is made up of people who genuinely care about the well-being of others,?are willing to go out of their way to make others comfortable,?who do not like to judge people at all, much less based on the limited facts of their identities, or origins.?My fellow travelers are peacebuilders in ways both large and small.?

Who’s a Connector that's made a difference in your life??

I can probably name 20 connectors who've made a difference to me, but Gloria Steinem has probably been the most important.?Gloria has always taken the time to understand me, and has therefore understood when and how to connect me to others.?Connections are best when they are not scattershot or random.?They need to be curated and cared for.?And that's?probably the best lesson I take away from our friendship.

It's an honor to feature inspiring change-makers across industries who share their stories and words of wisdom about how to build meaningful relationships. Catch up on #CONNECTED with our previous guests, including Raina Kumra , Penny Abeywardena , Lisa M. Shalett , and more!

Susan McPherson is a serial connector, seasoned communicator and founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies , a communications consultancy focused on the intersection of brands and social impact. She is the author of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships.

Follow Susan on LinkedIn , Twitter and Instagram and order her new book, The Lost Art of Connecting , also available on Kindle and Audiobook.