Connecting with Niki King

How have relationships influenced your professional development and leadership style?

I wouldn’t be who I am without the many relationships I’ve built and cultivated. I realized early in my professional career that building strong connections is key to a successful career and a fulfilling life. Relationships have helped me get jobs, be successful in achieving my goals, and advance in my career. In my most recent roles, the first thing that I focused on was mapping my stakeholders and building good relationships. It’s my super-power.  

The many relationships I’ve had over the years (even the not-so-good ones) have shaped who I am as a leader. They have taught me the kind of leader that I want to be and the kind that I do not. Today, my leadership style is relationship-oriented, focusing on getting to know my team and my other key stakeholders on a more personal level, understanding, supporting, motivating, and developing teammates while creating an inclusive and collaborative environment. This is the type of leadership style that motivates me, so this has been important for me to develop those skills and lead in that way.  

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

Make time. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that we often neglect relationships outside of our immediate circle of family and friends (sometimes those suffer too…). The pandemic also put a different twist on trying to build and maintain strong relationships. So, a couple of years ago I began setting aside a block of time each Friday for relationship building and maintenance. This comes in many forms- lunch with a former colleague or professional acquaintance, virtual coffee or happy hour, a mentoring session with an up-and-coming sustainability professional, or an email or text to check in on someone I haven’t spoken with in a while. I always look forward to this time and am reminded each Friday how important relationships are.  

How have you intentionally built inclusiveness into your circles?

• Being my authentic self. I believe that it is important for my values to always shine through and by being my true self, I hope that others feel comfortable to also be their authentic selves.  
• Getting personal. I have built many relationships based on this one principle! Learning about a person’s values, interests, and hobbies helps me understand how to build a lasting connection. This is something that I learned from a mentor a long time ago and it was one of the best pieces of advice I’ve received. One of the first meetings with my new team this year started out with a “getting to know you” session focused solely on our personal interests, and I believe it helped us bond.  
• Listening more, talking less. I believe it is important for everyone to be heard and respected without being interrupted or talked over.  

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

I am grateful for any community of which I am a member, but I am extremely proud to be a part of the community of sustainability professionals. When I decided to transition from my previous career field to sustainability many years ago, I was amazed at how the community accepted me with open arms and was so willing to share their knowledge. Fifteen years later, this community has grown tremendously, and the relationships keep growing! Maybe it is because we are all trying to make the world a better place and we can’t do it alone, but I also think it is because it is simply a community of kind people who understand the value of connection.  

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

This was the hardest question for me because there are so many! But, if I had to pick one, I would say it’s Dave Stangis, CSO at Apollo. Not only did he invest in me and my career, but he has also connected me with so many wonderful people over the years. Many of these connections resulted in relationships that helped me grow personally and professionally and most importantly many turned into cherished friendships!  

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.