Fisher calls herself a natural listener, which helps to make ânot knowingâ a positive trait. When first setting up her company, she found the combination of these two traits to be an advantage. As she says, âwhen you don't know and you're really listening intently, people want to help you. They want to share.â Evidently, she's managed to maintain the vulnerability and receptivity of her original âI don't know,â even as she's become a seasoned leader of an enduring brand in the fashion industry. One of the outcomes of managing by not knowing is, as Fisher says, that âpeople feel safe to explore their own ideas instead of feeling like they just need to do what you tell them to do.â
Eileen Fisher clothing is structured along simple lines and fluid designs. The same could be said for the way the company conducts its meetings. People sit in a circle, with the intention of de-emphasizing hierarchies and instead encouraging what's called âa leader in every chair.â To create the mindfulness and focus conducive to an environment where everyone collaborates and contributes, meetings begin with a minute of silence. Sometimes an object, such as a gourd, is passed from person to person; the idea is the person is allowed and expected to speak when the object is in hand. The point is that Fisher, like the other leaders discussed in this chapter, has institutionalized very specific processes that help create psychological safety.