Hi Leader,
There is a quiet trap capable leaders fall into, and I see women fall into it more than anyone.
They wait.
They wait to be invited into the conversation. They wait to be recognized as influential. They wait for the title that makes it feel appropriate to speak.
It looks respectful.
It sounds strategic.
Often, it is fear.
Not fear of incompetence, but fear of being wrong in public. Fear of being labeled difficult. Fear of being perceived as too ambitious.
But the reality is, waiting just reduces immediate discomfort. It does not build influence.
Influence is rarely assigned. It is created.
Earlier this month, we talked about the invisible tax of overperforming. Underneath that pattern is a belief that sounds productive but keeps you contained:
“If I just do enough, someone will notice.”
Hard work builds competence. It does not automatically build influence.
Influence is pattern recognition.
People are not tracking how hard you worked. They are noticing what changes when you are involved.
Does the conversation get clearer?
Do decisions get defined?
Does forward motion actually happen?
That is what builds influence.
Stay connected.
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