During my educational and professional careers, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and work with some inspiring, hardworking and overall badass women. Some of these women I’ve known for as little as three years and others as much as ten. While the length of time that I’ve known all of them varies, one thing remains constant, the care and support they continue to provide me as the years go by.
Given their vast experiences and diverse backgrounds these women have, I’ve been able to experience and accomplish many things. With their help I’ve landed job opportunities, gotten accepted into graduate schools and traveled to different places. I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone, have challenged myself to be more vocal and have learned how to approach situations with more care. I’ve also become a more effective, fearless and empathetic leader.
While surrounding yourself with strong women is easy enough, establishing actual relationships is where the real work is put in and where the value is seen. The way I’ve been able to foster these meaningful relationships is by simply being myself. I try to be very mindful and respectful of everyone’s time and highlight that we’re all human. We all make mistakes, have competing priorities and are trying to navigate this crazy thing called life. I think by creating an open and honest space it has allowed me to connect with these women on a deeper level.
I’ve laughed and cried with all these women, I’ve shared my frustrations, even when they were the root of said frustration, and have shared my aspirations and dreams. At the same time, I’ve seen some of these strong women completely defeated, frustrated and lost. In those moments I knew these relationships were rooted with so much more. These relationships are a whole other level of realness, it’s about being able to share the good and the bad.
I understand it could be difficult connecting with folks, especially if they’re your superior, some things you just don’t want to share with your boss. There will be some people who just want to keep relationships professional which is completely fine. You may consider asking a supervisor or professor out for coffee or lunch for a get to know you conversation. Or you could try asking folks about their experience and background, and how they got to where they’re at, which usually opens the door for deeper conversations. You never know how much of an impact someone will have on your life.
To that end, while I have a strong set of women backing me up, I must not forget about the few great men who are also supporting and guiding me. I honestly don’t know what I would do without any of them.