SPOTLIGHT: JUDITH HARRISON
Former NYWICI President and Matrix Honoree Judith Harrison on creating a workplace where people truly feel valued.
Written by Katy Workman
After a decades-long career in communications, culture, and DEI leadership, including serving as President of New York Women in Communications (2018–2020) and earning a Matrix Award in 2021, Judith Harrison seems to have done it all. Now, after shaping the culture inside some of the world’s leading firms, she remains focused on one important thing: connection.
With the launch of organizational culture consultancy The Judith Effect in June 2025, Harrison emphasizes that connection is vital to today’s work landscape. “I’ve been looking at how to make [the work] even more impactful given the state of the country and the world and the growing need for connection.” The impact of this work is intuitive and strategic. “It makes so much sense to me to create atmospheres where people feel valued and heard, and where organizations understand this is profitable. It’s not just a ‘nice to have.’ It’s how you get the best out of people.”
How Connection Became Non-Negotiable
A defining moment for Harrison came in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, when she created a series of forums called Time to Connect. “There was such a hunger to talk about difficult things. Corporate protocol had always been, ‘Leave your feelings at the door. Come in, do your job.’” The response she saw, however, was immediate and powerful. “When we created these discussions, with hundreds of people across North America and even beyond, it was striking to hear people share very personal things connected to the news. And what was even more striking was the support colleagues gave one another, even when they hadn’t met before.” Harvard Business Review showcased the value of this practice in strengthening psychological safety, purpose, and performance in its August 2022 article, The Hidden Power of Workplace Rituals.
By creating a space for everyone to share openly and safely, the teams began to build mutual trust, respect, and affection. The impact this had on commitment to shared purpose and collaboration was extraordinary. “Making people feel valued, not in a pro forma way where you just say, ‘People are our greatest asset,’ but actually showing it, is huge. It creates higher engagement, which leads to higher productivity, which leads to higher profits. Recent Gallup Organization research on the relationship between engagement at work and organizational outcomes found that teams scoring in the top quartile of employee engagement had 23% higher profitability than those in the bottom quartile.”
What Human Leadership Requires
For Harrison, human leadership begins internally. The road to higher engagement and better performance starts with human leadership in all of its facets. “Human leadership is driven by connection. It’s empathetic, transparent, self-aware, and adaptable …leaders need to understand their motivations and blind spots.”
This approach offers a perspective shift and allows us to zoom out on how leadership itself is defined. In a space where knowledge and skill are often thought to dominate, one’s presence and character are equally important. “Leadership used to be about what you know, your expertise. Now, who you are matters just as much.”
When it comes to young professionals entering today’s workforce, this shift is especially impactful. This generation doesn’t just want direction; they require meaning and authenticity. “Younger generations are looking for a closer relationship with leaders. They want to feel pride in their work. They want to understand their role in something bigger. It requires transparency and humility.”
For leaders who want to rise to that expectation, Harrison believes the path forward is clear and starts with the personal. “Be open to feedback. Let people know you’re open to it. One-on-one conversations matter. Ask how they’re doing and how you can better support them.” This ultimately will allow growth and trust to stem from the same place. “Demonstrating humility engenders trust.”
Remember Your A-B-Cs
When offering advice, Harrison often reframes a familiar mantra. “There’s a sales phrase: A-B-C, Always Be Closing. For us, it should be A-B-C, Always Be Connecting.”
Her own journey to NYWICI exemplifies the power of connection and openness. A chance breakfast conversation about Mad Men in Budapest led to a board meeting introduction, eventually culminating in her NYWICI presidency. “It just shows you need to be open all the time. You never know who you’ll meet.”
Connection, she believes, has ripple effects that often surface when you least expect them. “The other night, a woman overheard my name and thanked me for co-founding a program she graduated from. She said she wouldn’t be in the business if not for that program. You do these things without expecting recognition, but sometimes you see the impact.”
Why NYWICI Matters
When asked why NYWICI continues to hold such meaning for her, Harrison’s response is immediate. “It’s so genuine. It’s women helping women. Not transactional.”
Her connection to the organization deepened during her early work on the Student Affairs Committee, where she helped raise scholarship funds and met the next generation of communications leaders. The experience left a lasting mark. “Years later, as a member of the team making final decisions on granting scholarships and providing internships, I saw incredibly smart, generous, courageous young women. One candidate stands out. She was blind. She walked around a huge table and shook everyone’s hand. She was confident and brilliant. We were all fighting over which of our agencies or companies would give her a scholarship and an internship. To be part of an organization where you see that? What’s better?”
Values as a North Star
Entrepreneurship, Harrison says, requires personal clarity and conviction. Without the structure of corporate life, every decision begins with a deeper question: Does this personally align with my values and purpose? “There’s no roadmap I find satisfying. The work has to reflect my values. That’s why my values are on my website. Everything is values-driven. Values are a North Star.” This commitment to values, however, is nothing new. It guided her long before launching The Judith Effect. “I always asked in corporate life: Is this consistent with our values? If not, we need to rethink it.”
At the center of that philosophy is a principle that continues to anchor her work – leaving the world better than you found it. “I once received an award from the Girl Scouts. They ask girls, ‘What impact do you want to have on the world?’ I thought that was the best question ever. If everyone thought that way, we’d live in a better place.”
Take Up Space, and Hold Onto Hope
For Harrison, the question of impact carries particular weight for women. It’s no secret that women are often conditioned to minimize themselves, having to adjust and soften to society’s standards. “Many of us were taught not to take up space, to shrink ourselves. The amount of space we take up in the world is nobody’s call but ours.”
In a world of perception, Harrison challenges us to think deeper. “If we focused less on how we’ll be perceived and more on the substance of our ideas, we’d unlock so much hidden talent. It’s a lost opportunity for business and for life if women don’t bring their full selves.”
Even in a rapidly shifting cultural moment, Harrison urges us to maintain a long-term perspective vs. focusing on the short-term turbulence of today. “This is a pendulum. It will swing again. For people feeling discouraged or being laid off, this is temporary. Life changes in ways you don’t expect. Never give up hope.”