Connecting with Anna-Marie Harling

How have relationships influenced your professional development and leadership style?

Relationships have had a central and profound influence on my professional development and leadership style.??

In the early days of my career, I worked in a very male-dominated investment banking environment. But, I was exceptionally fortunate that my first manager was an exceedingly caring, kind, as well as kick-ass, no-nonsense woman. Every day, she showed me that you don’t need to conform to the male-dominated stereotypes of what it is to be a leader to succeed. We’re still in touch today, and she’s been a mentor to me throughout my career.?

As my career shifted to match my desire to leverage my business and finance skills to create greater impact in the world – relationships continued to have a great influence on me. It was by building relationships with those outside my immediate circle, people who were keen to build mutual networks, that I was able to succeed in my work. My role at Co-Impact is all about collaboration, whose core is building relationships.?

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

For me it’s about authenticity – show up as your true self rather than thinking you need to play a particular role. To build authentic connections with people, always think about what you can do for the person, rather than asking, what can this person do for me? And the obvious one – when you meet someone and have a great conversation, follow up and keep nurturing those connections. If you see an article or event that you think would be of interest to the other person, drop them a note. If you’re going to be in their town or at a conference you think they might be at, drop them a note. It doesn’t have to be every week or month but doing personalized follow-up really helps maintain and build strong relationships.?

How have you intentionally built inclusiveness into your circles?

As a white British woman, I’m aware of my immense privilege, and how that privilege is a factor in my achievements. On top of this, the philanthropy sector is traditionally not very inclusive. I build inclusiveness by being intentional about mentoring and supporting women who have different backgrounds to mine to thrive in the sector. I also try to be conscious of the spaces I occupy, or that I am invited into, and continually ask whether I can invite someone with less privilege alongside or instead of me. These are small steps and fundamentally we need much bigger shifts. It’s one of the reasons I’m so happy to be part of Co-Impact, an organization that is so intentional about building more just and inclusive systems and supporting women leaders across the globe though our work and in our team.?

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

Most of my career has been in the impact space, and it is an honor to stand alongside a community of amazing changemakers who are taking on some of the world’s toughest challenges. If my work in some way supports them to make sustained positive changes in the world, then I can feel proud.?

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

So many people have made a difference. People who were willing to open doors for me, people who took a chance on me, people who picked me up when I’ve been knocked down. It’s impossible to name just one. I’m thankful to them all.?

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.