Blair Christie’s mom used to encourage her to close her eyes, imagine what she wanted from life and then go after it. Blair fully believed this would work, because it’s just what her mom did to get back on her feet after a difficult divorce. “She truly believed that if you could see it, you could achieve it,” says Blair. “I owe all of my success in life to her.” Topping the list of Blair’s many successes: a ten-year marriage to Joe; daughters Julia and Cameron; and becoming the youngest female senior vice president at Cisco. After almost a decade with the IT giant, Blair oversees a global team of 200 and reports directly to CEO John Chambers. She describes the renowned innovator as authentic, energetic and very competitive—adjectives that also apply to Blair herself, say her coworkers. “John is very honest and open, and he allows you to be very direct,” she says. “And there’s a lot of humor in the office. You can hear John’s laugh a mile away.” Blair’s own ability to find humor in stressful situations can be traced back to her childhood—and to her optimistic mom, Susan. A glass-half-full outlook has helped Blair through some difficult times. She was just 13 when her parents split up after 20 years of marriage. “I knew I needed to be a role model for my girls,” her mom says today. “My choices were to curl up in a fetal position or to make the best of a bad situation and learn from it.”

The New Kid

After the split, Blair’s mom moved her family to Annapolis, MD, from Atlanta, GA, so she could stay with her parents while she looked for work. Blair was entering high school, and this change meant dealing with a new school and leaving a home and friends she loved—all while coping with her parents’ divorce. Her first day at her new school was nerve wracking “I didn’t know a soul Who was I going to have lunch with?” she worried On top of that, she came down with mono: “I had to have my tonsils and adenoids removed, and I was out of school for the first month.” Despite the early drama, Blair soon had a big, diverse circle of friends. She played tennis, loved to read, became a cheerleader and acted in plays. In tenth grade, Blair began waitressing at the Donut Shack before school to fund her many hobbies and activities. “I remember all those tips in nickels and quarters,” Blair says. What she didn’t realize was that her mom, who had risen from entry level bank teller to branch manager and was now working full time, still struggled to support the family. “I didn’t know how financially challenging those times were,” Blair recalls. When it came to college, Blair decided on Drexel University in Philadelphia, a five year program that allows students to combine school with paid internships that help fund tuition. “I got tremendous experience,” she says. Her favorite internship was in the public affairs department of PECO, the public electric company in Philly. Her boss and mentor, Nick DeBenedictis, later became the CEO of a water utility. Blair followed him there, working part time during college and then full time after she graduated.

Meeting Her Match

It was during her second year of college that Blair met her future husband through friends. “We started dating and never broke up,” she says. Blair describes Joe as a warm person with a great smile. He remembers her curly blond hair and beautiful eyes. “He comes from a large family, and I come from a small one,” Blair says “He played football and lacrosse, and I don’t even like to jog. But we have similar values and believe the same things are important ” They married in 1998, when Blair was 26. “I am sure I was more ready than he was,” she says with a laugh “I bet he could have waited a little longer.” Blair’s next career stop was a small tech firm, where she did investor relations for two years. A networking call she made to Cisco asking for professional advice turned into an invitation for a job interview “I met with fourteen people that day,” Blair says. What stood out for her was “how consistent the executives were about the strategy of the company and its values and culture That meant a lot to me.” That was back in 1999, and Blair was soon offered a job as Cisco’s manager of investor relations. The new position meant a big move across the country for the newlyweds and their yellow Lab. “It was exciting and a big deal,” says Blair. Things moved quickly after that. When her direct manager soon announced plans to retire, Blair spoke up: “I told her I wanted her job. I was very direct about wanting to grow and run my own team I ended up getting her job and reporting to the CFO for some time.”

Drama at 3,000 Feet

Just as Blair’s career surged, she got pregnant with Julia. Fortunately, things couldn’t have gone more smoothly She was back at work after a four month maternity leave, with caregiver Maria in place and a modified schedule to ease back in. As a new mom, Blair wrote lots of child care notes, then realized she’d have to ease up a bit. “If someone is helping to raise your kids, you have to be open to the fact that they won’t do it exactly like you would,” Blair says. “Not even your husband. It’s never going to be done just as you would do it, and you have to get comfortable with that.” Her second pregnancy wasn’t as easy. Four weeks into her first trimester with Cameron, Blair came down with the flu. Flying home across the country after a vacation, she felt sick the moment the plane left the ground. “I passed out,” she says. “I was lying down in the galley of the plane. It was a scary thing for a mom.” As soon as they landed, she was rushed to the emergency room, where they did ultrasounds to make sure the baby was okay. The pregnancy was labeled high risk: Doctors worried her cervix wasn’t strong enough and she might go into early labor. Blair was monitored closely and put on bed rest for the two months before she was due. During that time, she worked from her couch and barely moved. A laptop and an understanding management team helped her stay connected.

Learning to Lead

Soon after Cameron was born, Blair and Chambers had a heart-to-heart talk about the next step in her career. “We didn’t have a centralized corporate communications team at the time, and I said I felt as though Cisco would get value from one,” she says. “He asked if I would do it, so I became a direct report.” Not surprisingly, there’s a lot to learn by watching a success story like John Chambers lead a multinational company: “He’s intense, and he loves to win. He has deep relationships and sees things five years out.” He also likes data and has a photographic memory, she says. “Every quarter, when we give him tons of data, if there’s a mistake, he’s always the first to find it.” Even in tough times, like when the tech bubble burst, Chambers maintains his upbeat approach. “He goes into teaching mode,” she says. “That’s how he is, even with three wheels off the road and a lot going on.” Blair marvels at how he handles stress—with exercise and vast quantities of soda. “He’s maniacal about Diet Coke. It’s something of an urban legend.” For his part, Chambers praises Blair’s grace under pressure. “She is very good under stress with an ability to remain calm in any situation,” he says. “Blair is an extremely honest person, and I have complete and unconditional trust in her. She is also a lot of fun. We are like a family at Cisco, and Blair very much helps to drive our culture.”

Subsance Over Style

As a boss, Blair is praised for her people skills and teamwork. “She’s the ultimate collaborator,” says Laura Ipsen, senior vice president of global policy and government affairs at Cisco. She’s also good at leading a group to a solution “Blair truly values diverse perspectives,” says Terry Anderson, Cisco’s vice president of corporate Communications. “And she can help guide a sometimes conflicted group of people toward alignment without breaking glass.” Authenticity is important to Blair, who strives to emphasize substance over style with her team. “Women need to focus on this even more,” she says “Come to the table with informed opinions, and speak up ” Part of reaching your goals, she says, is “owning your own path.” Her advice to other working mothers: “It’s your life. Figure out what you want and don’t be afraid to ask for it.” At home, as at work, Blair’s straight forward optimism serves her well. “She stays positive even during challenging and stressful times,” says Joe. Together, they’ve carefully choreographed their child care routine. Since Joe teaches, his mornings aren’t flexible, so Blair takes the a.m. shift She starts most days with a quick workout. Then it’s breakfast and getting the girls ready, carpooling to school and arriving at her desk before 9:00 am Joe takes care of afterschool pickups. An important family ritual is eating dinner together every night whenever possible. After dinner, Blair is all about the girls: homework, stories, puzzles, music, bath, books, prayers and bedtime “I only go online to complete my day after they’re in bed,” she says.

The Balance Myth

For fun, the family enjoys hiking on the weekends and spending time with friends. Neighbor Amy O’Hehir lives for their summertime routine when Blair and her daughters stop by “We sit in the front yard, with the kiddie pool blown up and the girls running around,” Amy says “Blair and I chat about whatever life is throwing our way Within five minutes of being home, she’s transformed from executive to laid back mom.” One thing you won’t hear Blair talk about is balance. She prefers to talk about work life integration “We have it in cycles,” she says “Some times my home life is very important, and it needs more than fifty percent of my focus. Other times it’s work. It’s about finding the right rhythm.” Blair readily admits that some weeks she never finds the right rhythm, and that’s okay, too. She wishes working parents would be less harsh with themselves. “If your kids are thriving, you feel connected to your spouse and you’re making a valuable contribution at work, fantastic” she says. That’s not to say Blair never feels overwhelmed—but she has a game plan When she feels unclear about how to start digging into a mound of work, let alone getting it all done, she breaks it down “I prioritize and then compartmentalize in chunks,” she says. “I put nine things in a compartment and focus on one I block and tackle ” And her husband now takes a page from her playbook: “I’ve learned from Blair not to sweat the little things that you can’t control, but rather focus on the things that are most important, like family, friends and health. It’s amazing what looking on the bright side of things can do.”