One of my main mottos is community first. Investing in others has rewarded me and my career mindset:“ We end up in emotional poverty if we only collaborate with those who can immediately benefit us.”
_____________________________________________________________________ Sarah
Fortt | Ford Legal Department
One of my main mottos is community first. Investing in others has rewarded me and my career mindset:“ We end up in emotional poverty if we only collaborate with those who can immediately benefit us.”
For her peers, she stresses that true leadership comes down to bold action.“ Being courageous enough to do the right thing when you cannot see the horizon from where you stand is a really important principle to implement in your life.” Her current focus at Ford reflects this call to action. She remains closely engaged with her compliance team, working to align governance with operations and invest heavily in the next generation of legal talent.
Outside the office, Sarah keeps her routine grounded.“ I have three dogs, so it is a canine household.” She writes and spends time with family, carving out space for interests beyond corporate law.
“ When I came to Ford, I said, I understand why people come to this company and work here for 30 years and never leave,” Sarah concludes.“ The culture is one of hard work, collaboration and teamwork, of humor and of humility.” It’ s a culture she now helps protect, and one that continues to shape her in return. ■
Sarah’ s view of success has shifted dramatically over time. Early in her career, it narrowed to survival- the result of painful experiences with workplace abuse.“ The experience put me in a mindset that was focused purely on how to survive.”
Today, she measures success by her external impact.“ It’ s the number of people I’ m able to positively influence,” she says, thinking especially of young lawyers who feel unseen.“ My goal is to speak to them, encourage them, and show them they can make an impact without sacrificing their integrity.
“ One of my main mottos is community first. Investing in others has rewarded me and my career.” She cautions against a transactional
Sarah’ s canine household
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