As Senior Director of Strategic Alliances, Sam Foster leads partner development for Citrix’s strategic software and technology partners. Working in technology, she says, is fascinating because the field evolves rapidly and she collaborates with a variety of partners and customers on cutting-edge solutions. She loves learning about and predicting technology trends, understanding the impact they’ll have on customers, and developing ways Citrix and her team can create unique partnerships that align with customer needs today and in the future. This blog post is the second in our Women @ Work series spotlighting women at Citrix. You can meet Xue Wang here.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career and how have you managed them?
Early in my career, I, like many other women, experienced overt or casual sexism. For example, a partner expressed surprise because I was a “girl.” He was expecting “Sam to be a man.” I also once had a well-intentioned manager who, when asked why I wasn’t being put forward for growth opportunities, told me he thought it would be too difficult for me as a single parent. Each situation is different, and how you manage them is, too. For example, with the well-intentioned manager, I was politely pointed. I told him I appreciated the care, but holding me back wasn’t helping me either, and I committed to speaking up if I couldn’t handle it. (I was able to handle it.) For me, I focus on delivering with excellence. Your results, reputation, and trust are what people remember. Cultivating strong friends and trusted colleagues — allies — who give me candid feedback has been key.

How can people in a role like yours help to build others?
For me it’s about the golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated. And, I believe, we can all do this every day. Some simple ways are:

  • Provide credit and recognition to those who contribute to the success of you and your team. It doesn’t have to be done with loud fanfare. It can be as simple as mentioning them in the resource section of content, recognizing them during a presentation, or inviting them to participate in projects.
  • Be intentional and create opportunities. Can someone outside your direct team provide a perspective or skill you don’t have? Enabling project-based engagements provides multiple benefits. You enable more diverse teams and perspectives. You give members outside your team the chance to get experience in a role and see if they’d be interested in that kind of work in the future. You also grow your understanding and appreciation of the impact your team drive.
  • Give others the time and coaching you received or wish you had. And be honest! You’re not helping if you only tell them they’re perfect and great, unless, of course, they are that unicorn.

What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?
It’s about the journey, not just the destination. Sometimes in our careers we get fixated on reaching a certain position/role, or perhaps worse, we’re made to feel less than because we can’t articulate where we want to be in two, five, or 10 years. And don’t be afraid to make changes. After all, it’s your career and your life. The things that matter most to me and the times when I deliver best are when I focus on these things:

  • Do I care about what I’m doing?
  • Can I and am I driving positive impact for customer and company outcomes?
  • Do I have respect for and can I learn from my colleagues, team, and leadership?
  • Will I be or am I seen, heard, and respected?

What would you tell a first-time leader or someone who strives to be a leader?
Be authentically you! Learn from others, incorporate their wisdom and techniques, but make them yours. And most of all, remember you are not in this role because you’re perfect or the best. You’re here because you work hard and deliver results, and you do this because you also make mistakes, you learn from them, and behind you is an invisible ecosystem of family, friends, allies, leaders, and team members who contribute to your success in myriad ways. So, offer a helping hand, be a coach, be intentional in who you hire, and encourage those who fail. It’s a journey. Enjoy it!