Connecting with Jen Fisher

How have relationships influenced your professional development and leadership style?

The relationships I’ve built over my career have significantly shaped who I am as a leader today. It’s through my connections with colleagues, leaders, and mentors that I’ve learned what my leadership values are and who I want to be as a leader. And even more importantly, these relationships have supported me through my leadership journey, helping me to overcome challenges, and stay inspired and motivated.

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

Yes! A lot! I even wrote a book about building relationships at work. Here are a few of my top tips that I use regularly in my life:

• Be intentional about creating time to connect. In the virtual world we all live and work in, we don’t always have those spontaneous ‘water cooler’ moments of connection throughout our day, so we need to be intentional about carving out that time. I like to put reminders on my calendar and set-up regular lunches or coffee with people in my network.
• Be present when you’re with others. With so many distractions around us, especially from our technology, it’s hard to truly connect in a way that matters. That’s why I always put away my phone and turn off anything else that rings, dings, or beeps when I’m meeting with someone.
• Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. If we want to connect with others in meaningful ways, we need to show our authentic selves, and that includes our strengths and our weaknesses. When we’re open and honest about our own struggles in life, it creates a safe space for others to feel comfortable to share too.

How have you intentionally built inclusiveness into your circles?

I believe that empathy is key to creating a psychologically safe environment where everyone in your circle feels comfortable being their authentic self. Having a network of people around you who bring different perspectives and have different experiences to share is what helps you learn and grow. If we use empathy in how we connect with each other, we build a better understanding of where a person is coming from, regardless of differences.

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

As a breast cancer ‘thriver’ (not a fan of the word ‘survivor’), I’m a huge advocate for women’s health. Throughout my recovery, I’ve built strong relationships with other women that were going through a similar journey. It was our shared experience that brought us together, but it was our collective resilience and strength that helped us get through the hard times.

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

Diana O’Brien , Deloitte’s former Chief Marketing Officer has been a longtime mentor of mine. I would not be a Chief Well-being Officer if it wasn’t for her. After I experienced burnout, I thought the only answer was leaving my job. But she helped me see that there was a real opportunity to use my experience to help others thrive. I think that’s what great mentors in your life do—they help you see past the obstacles in your path so that you can move forward, and they remind you that you can do great things! That’s what she did for me and what I strive to do for my colleagues.

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.