Agata Fischer – Comfortable outside of the comfort zone
We all know the danger (and draw) of comfort zones. There are plenty of quotes from brilliant people all over the world encouraging us to “step outside your comfort zone” or “growth only happens when you’re uncomfortable.” When you learn to like being outside of your comfort zone, that’s when you have proven to yourself you’re growing.
This is how Agata Fischer, business director for detection and services at Leica Geosystems, describes her success and the consistent forward trajectory of her career. Rising up through organisational structures, she was recently recognized as one ofXYHT 2020年40岁以下40岁以下.
The commendation reads:“While her academic background was in business process and marketing, Agata has gained an exemplary understanding of geomatics and geospatial theory, practice, and especially emerging technologies. Her steady rise, first within Hilti and since within Leica Geosystems, is impressive, but what brought Agata to our attention was her presentations and writings. Being both tech- and business-savvy and an excellent presenter is a potent combination; the multi-lingual Ms. Fischer is all of the above.”
确实令人印象深刻，但这是一种强烈的职业道德，以及向自己证明自己的渴望，她甚至可以超越自己的期望，即意识到自己实际上享受着挑战，并且始终如一地超出了她的舒适区域。
Making a change
Educated in business management and marketing, Fischer was first exposed to product management as an intern starting her career. Thrown head first into unchartered waters, she found herself providing product trainings with only a few days to learn the material. Managing the task well and with a strong mentor in the role, she aspired to become a product manager herself.
“有了一位出色的导师，他是产品经理，我总是有一个清晰的想法，我想去哪里。”said Fischer.“作为一名产品经理，我可能很像企业家在驾驶员座位上。我可能会与客户接近，了解工作流及其需求，并提供带来价值的解决方案。”
With this experience, Fischer also wanted to better understand the marketing side of business, so her first role after her internship was as a marketing manager. Here she learned the process of features, benefits and values, and conducting market research.
Her sights, though, remained on her goal of becoming a product manager. Putting her networking skills to the test, Fischer was able to work on projects in other departments. Once again stepping outside of her comfort zone, she travelled alone to the UK to meet customers onsite and learn their needs firsthand. With her desire to learn and her willingness to work hard on full display, she pushed herself to prove she had what it took to succeed in the role.
“尽管我为自己的角色做好了准备，但我也愿意冒险，真正将自己推向新的领域。”recounts Fischer.“I was given opportunities to really think and act like an entrepreneur, being held responsible for the success of a complicated project.”
While transitioning from a marketing to product manager, Fischer took on the complex work of turning a services line into a profitable part of the business. First, using skills built in her marketing role, she conducted market research to better understand the customers she was now working with on a closer level. She then created a network of stakeholders who she turned into supporters.
“这里有一个学习曲线要克服，我确定了我认识的人是使这条线成功并收集他们的投入的关键。”said Fischer.“在依靠其他人以成为负责任并完全拥有该项目之前，我的过渡一直在枢纽。”
When the services line turned into a successful part of the business, Fischer knew she had finally proven herself. Along with her determination to reach her goals, she also attributes her success to a strong sense of curiosity.
“I’m a really curious person, especially when it comes to customers. I want to know what they are doing, what drives them, what pains them,”解释说Fischer。“这种真正的好奇心有助于我建立对客户的信任，并使他们能够向我开放，以便我可以帮助解决他们的问题更好。
I’m also always open to learning, which is what I believe keeps driving me to the next level.”
Today, Fischer leads a team of product managers and trainers in the Construction Tools Division of Leica Geosystems, being again promoted from product manager to business director. She’s now responsible for developing and guiding the product roadmap, go-to-market and sales strategy for Leica Geosystems detection solutions. Pulling from what she has learned in her own career journey, she aims to empower her team through a strong belief in them and trusting their abilities.
“Working in my role and within this company and with the leaders I’ve had plus always learning willing to grow while being uncomfortable, I’ve built a sense of strong confidence and pride in myself. I want to give that back now to those I have the privilege of leading,”said Fischer.“I focus on developing my team by showing them I believe in them, enabling them to grow in their positions with new responsibilities; essentially also pushing them outside of their own comfort zones to try new things even if they think they can’t do something. When they prove they can, it’s not only a celebration for them but the whole team.”
在工作场所建立自信的女性
有人在组织Fischer says empowered her to take on challenging opportunities is Construction Tools President Katherine Broder. Fischer says Broder’s leadership skills inspired her to pursue her goals and model her own leadership style.
“凯蒂从一开始就鼓励我成为产品经理，”解释说Fischer。“She was and still is open to all of my questions, and she empowered me to design my own work programmes and style, implicitly believing in me.”
感觉是相互的门特布罗德解释道ring relationship between the two actually goes both ways.
“Drive, dedication and the willingness to go beyond, that’s what makes Agata successful and a strong leader. It’s inspiring to me to see her grow and continue to unfold her talents,” said Broder. “Agata has truly become an asset to our business and organization. Meanwhile she has become my sounding board and mentor – a perfect development not only for me personally but also for the company.”
Seeing a minority of women leaders in the workplace, Fischer advocates for more opportunities for women to prove themselves in the boardroom. She points to the unique problem-solving and social skill set women possess to build strong results and more diverse work environments.
“Women, unfortunately, are not as initially confident in business as men even though they possess skill sets that are sorely needed to make business thrive,”解释说Fischer。“When we make space, though, to build that confidence, as was done with me in the company, they surprise not only themselves but those around them in how much they can actually accomplish.”
Fischer is currently working with the company’s Human Resources department to chair a working group to further review how the company can better support women in the workplace, such as reducing hinderances due to childcare concerns. As an up-and-coming woman leader in the company, she’s now also mentors to other women, paying back the mentorship she received earlier in her career.
What does she recommend to women and others looking to prove themselves?
“尝试。那是关键。始终愿意尝试学习新事物。选择可以继续学习和受到挑战的角色，”Fischer encourages.“Growth doesn’t happen unless you leave your comfort zone. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable because that’s where we truly prove what we’re capable of and succeed.”
