Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Steffanie Grossman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Steffanie, thanks for joining us today. Looking back on your career, have you ever worked with a great leader or boss? We’d love to hear about the experience and what you think made them such a great leader.

I’ve been fortunate to have many great mentors throughout my professional career. One who particularly comes to mind, is someone who gently encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone faster that I had been planning, to take risks, and to make genuine connections with others whenever possible. When I worked at a university counseling center, my boss encouraged me to apply for a position on a national board. At the time, I had been graduated for only a few years and was still learning to embrace confidence in that I knew what I was doing and that if that wavered, I knew when to ask for consultation from others who may be more experienced in that specific area. Applying had felt very vulnerable and honestly, I wasn’t sure if it was worth the time and energy it took to do so. She definitely had more faith in me being able to obtain the position than I did in myself. Fortunately, with her support and encouragement, I still applied. I remember being so nervous seeing the applicants who I was running against, reading their experience and questioning at times why I felt I should have applied. I then remember, while I was on vacation, I received the message stating that I had been voted into the position. I was ecstatic and so very appreciative, and for the next years while I was in the role, appreciated and embraced the position as well as how much it continued increasing my confidence in knowing I was capable and competent, and others could see and trust that as well. Further, they could give me support if I ever doubted myself, and being open to that made me a stronger clinician and professional. If it wasn’t for this boss, constantly encouraging me and sharing her experience of how beneficial and beautiful it can be to dive into challenges that force you to grow, I likely wouldn’t have made as many connections, made a difference on a national level, and had such a steep increase in confidence during my transition from graduate-training level professional to licensed professional. I have such appreciation for her and truly hope to instill in others the confidence, assurance, and values that she helped instill in me.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

I’ve always realized how important connections with others are in my personal life, and I realized quickly how important they are in my professional life as well (and how much those connections overlap). My connections with mentors and colleagues have helped me grow and increase my confidence, they’ve helped even the hardest of days feel more manageable. When these relationships have turned into friendships, the warmth, stability, and comfort they bring has been invaluable. The encouragement I’ve received in every step of my professional journey has led me to become the person and clinician I am today. The laughs along the way, from these people as well, have ensured that this is a person who is able to embrace joy and hope even in the most challenging moments. I so greatly appreciate being able to provide these therapeutic connections to my clients as well, to my supervisees too, to help them use our relationship to embrace joy and hope.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Embracing vulnerability through applying for different offices within my professional field as well as embracing challenge through other leadership opportunities, have been keys in building my reputation. These experiences have allowed me to make connections through which I’ve grown and also been able to highlight my abilities and skill set. I’ve welcomed the opportunity to serve our professional community and truly been able to develop colleagues turned friends, who grew to trust my work with their clients and supervisees. I’ve embraced feedback along the way, and attended trainings when possible, to highlight that I know that I, like all people, always have room for growth. Furthermore, I truly desire it, and I believe that my colleagues and clients seeing and knowing that also contribute to them trusting me.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://drsteffaniegrossman.com/
• Other: Phone: (320)318-0773 Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Debra Gloria (headshot)