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“Too often we think of business relationships in purely transactional terms, but in fact, all relationships are like plants: Just as healthy plants require attention, water, soil and light to thrive, strong relationships require shared commitment, attention, and healthy communication.” – Beth Bengtson, Founder & CEO – Working for Women on the power of relationships.

Our CEO & Founder, Beth Bengtson shared her thoughts on the importance of relationships in Susan McPherson’s Connected Newsletter. Beth highlights how intentional curiosity and commitment is integral for including people with diverse identities and perspectives in your personal and professional life.

How have relationships influenced your professional development and leadership style?

I can honestly say that Working for Womenwould not exist without the relationships I have built along the way in my career.

I remember being at a conference of business women years ago, and the speaker asked how many people in the room made time for others when they reached out and asked for help; the majority of hands went up. And then she asked, “How many of you reach out and ask for the help you need?” Far fewer hands appeared.

The first thing I had to do when developing Working for Women was reach out to my network and ask for their time and feedback on the concept. It was quite uncomfortable for me, but the connections from each of those conversations got us to where we are now – working for women. More importantly, those connections have opened doors to opportunities for women we serve across our network.

Something else that was very powerful came back from these conversations,  I had a clear vision of the organization I wanted to create, and why it was needed — and I was busy looking for someone else to lead it. The feedback that came back to me, over and over again, was, “But Beth, YOU should lead it.” At that time, my definition of a leader was someone who was extroverted, dynamic, and charismatic — and I am none of those things. It was only through relationships with people who saw in me what I couldn’t see in myself that I realized, taking the role of president was the right thing to do. Since those early days, those relationships have been critical to the success and growth of Working for Women. For one thing, a number of former colleagues and clients have supported the organization, whether by signing on as corporate partners or making individual donations. The relationships I’ve formed with our nonprofit partners are also essential; listening deeply to what they tell me about their front line experiences, and to the stories they share from the women they serve, help me make sure that we are continuing to meet the needs of marginalized women in the most impactful ways possible. I’d like to add one more thought about how relationships have strengthened me as a leader – my style is very oriented towards working in partnership, so learning to go beyond my comfort, and being supported by existing relationships, has allowed me to add and build upon new relationships to pursue the mission of Working for Women.

You can see this in the projects we’re part of, with corporate and nonprofit partners, and with other organizations that work to grow women’s economic independence.  For example, I’ve been engaged with The Case for Childcare with NationSwell, Pivotal Ventures, and others; and have sparked conversations aimed at changing the conversation about women and their economic power.

Read the full article here.