Show Your Worth

Show Your Worth Plot Summary

Introduction

In today's competitive workplace, many talented women find themselves stuck in a paradox: they work diligently, deliver exceptional results, yet remain invisible when leadership opportunities arise. This broken first rung on the career ladder prevents countless women from ascending to management positions, creating a ripple effect that diminishes female representation at every subsequent level. The statistics are sobering—less than 10 percent of top leadership positions are held by women, with even fewer occupied by women of color. But what if the key to breaking through isn't working harder, but working with greater intention? Throughout these pages, you'll discover eight powerful strategies that will transform how you approach your career. These aren't theoretical concepts but practical, actionable methods tested and proven by women who have successfully navigated the complex journey to leadership. By intentionally defining success on your terms, focusing your attention strategically, creating maximum value, and building meaningful relationships, you'll not only show your worth but emerge as the leader you were always meant to be.

Chapter 1: Define Your Success on Your Own Terms

Success is deeply personal, yet many women fall into the trap of pursuing someone else's definition of achievement. When you allow others to define what success looks like for you, you risk reaching their destination only to find it hollow and unfulfilling. True success begins with intentionally defining what it means to you, creating an internal compass that guides all your career decisions. My journey illustrates this principle vividly. Growing up in Mwanza, Tanzania, in a family where no one had a college degree, my early definition of success was simply getting good grades to please my mother. When I was in third grade, I brought home a report card filled with poor marks, ranking 27th out of 30 students. Seeing my mother's tears as she stood over a hot frying pan making rice cakes to sell, I innocently said, "You never told me that you wanted me to get good grades." That moment transformed my life. I started applying myself, and by the next grading period, I ranked third in my class. The joy on my mother's face when I showed her my report card with no red marks became my motivation. As my life evolved, so did my definition of success. When I moved to the United States to pursue a computer science degree, success meant lifting my family out of poverty. Later, as a young mother working at IBM, it meant buying a house with a backyard swing for my daughter. When I became a sales leader, it meant exceeding revenue targets while maintaining work-life balance as a single mother. Each definition served as a powerful source of motivation during difficult times. The key insight is that success has plasticity—it should change, expand, and evolve as you do. Your definition must include both professional goals like "Get promoted to a leadership role" and personal goals like "Own a home for my children." This ensures you're successful both externally and internally, creating a rich, fulfilling career and life. Without intentionally defining what success means to you, you'll struggle to take the necessary steps to achieve it. To define your own success, start with deep introspection. Ask yourself: What are my core values? What energizes me or brings me joy? What are my strengths? Then create a long-term vision that excites you so much you'd want to jump up and down to tell your loved ones when you achieve it. Make sure this vision aligns with your values, stretches you professionally and personally, and scares you a little—that's how you know you're aiming high enough to unlock your full potential. Remember that your definition of success is yours to change whenever you want. As you evolve and your circumstances change, revisit and redefine it. The purpose of intentionality isn't to keep you trapped but to ensure you move forward with purpose, always advancing toward what truly matters to you.

Chapter 2: Focus Your Attention on What Truly Matters

Your attention is your most valued, limited, and perishable asset. In our era of constant digital distraction, being physically present but mentally absent has become commonplace. The difference between your success and someone else's often comes down to where you allocate this precious resource. Success is achieved daily by intentionally investing your attention for maximum returns. Early in my sales career at IBM, I learned this lesson the hard way. Driven by enthusiasm to succeed in my new role, I created an endless list of tasks for over 50 potential deals, making every single one my "must-win." Despite working 60-hour weeks, I wasn't making meaningful progress on any of them. During my first review meeting with my sales leader, Keith Elzia, I proudly ran through my extensive task list. His response changed everything: "Working more hours isn't necessarily the answer; it's about priorities." Keith explained that he had once been just like me—energetic, enthusiastic, and working long hours without making much progress. He opened my eyes to the fact that I was diluting my attention by treating all deals equally. "We all have limited time and energy," he said. "The key to achievement is to use them wisely. Only work on deals that will maximize your chances of success. You must learn to qualify and prioritize your deals. Pick the deals that are worthy of your attention." This concept of asking "Is this worthy of my attention?" revolutionized my approach. I qualified each deal by determining both the possibility and probability of winning it. My new list included just 15 deals instead of 50, and winning these would exceed my sales targets by 20%. This became my Personal Success Plan (PSP)—a document that evolved from a simple list of priorities into a comprehensive roadmap for achieving my short and long-term definitions of success. The next crucial lesson was learning to say no—something many women struggle with both in and out of the workplace. Keith advised me, "If you don't say no to the deals that don't deserve your attention, you won't be able to say yes to the deals that do." He emphasized that I wasn't hired to win a popularity contest but to deliver business outcomes. When you deliver results, you earn respect, which matters more than being liked. How you say no makes all the difference. For politically charged situations or powerful stakeholders, follow these steps: First, prepare by focusing on maximizing business outcomes for the organization. Choose appropriate words that show this is a sound business decision, not an excuse. Second, set intentions before the conversation—be sincere, transparent, kind yet firm. Third, during the conversation, clearly explain your reasoning, ask for their perspective, and genuinely listen. If they share something you hadn't considered, acknowledge it. If you still believe your decision is right, stand your ground kindly but firmly. Once you've said no to what doesn't deserve your attention, structure your days around your highest priorities. Schedule tasks, meetings, and activities required to make progress on your must-win deals. Also schedule breaks to recharge between tasks and time for other necessary activities like emails and administrative work. I found that dedicating 15 minutes to emails at the beginning of the day, every two hours, and at day's end worked perfectly for me, with 30 minutes weekly for administrative tasks. By intentionally allocating my attention, I transformed from being busy to being productive. I started making meaningful progress every hour of every day, winning deals within three months. This strategy not only improved my performance but also enabled me to buy a house six months after starting my new role—just three weeks before my daughter was born.

Chapter 3: Balance Work and Life with Intention

Work-life balance means something different to everyone, but essentially, it's the state of equilibrium where you prioritize both your career demands and personal life needs. Our jobs don't define us even if we love what we do—we're also mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, volunteers, and caregivers. Each role gives meaning to our lives and competes for our limited attention and energy. My personal life nearly derailed my professional trajectory eight months after my first promotion to sales leader. Leading a team of ten with a $120 million sales target, I was devastated when my husband left suddenly and unexpectedly. My daughter Sophia was four, and my son Samir was two. Overnight, the intentional, energetic, proactive, optimistic Shelmina disappeared, replaced by an ashamed, angry, hurt woman full of resentment and self-pity. I didn't sleep well, so I woke up tired every day. Exhausted, I rushed my children to daycare and sped off to work. At the office, I was preoccupied, overwhelmed, and operating with the lowest energy levels I'd ever experienced. My strategy of Intentional Attention vanished. I'd sit through meetings in a daze and leave earlier than before to pick up my children. After making dinner, cleaning, giving baths, and preparing lunches for the next day, I'd collapse into bed exhausted but still unable to sleep well. My agitated mind couldn't engage effectively in any task. My negative mental chatter focused on how broken homes produced damaged children. I lost control over my Power Quotient—my ability to scan my mental chatter and choose an empowering response to a disempowering stimulus. Instead, I reacted to everything, and my children suffered the brunt of my anger. The turning point came one Friday night. After a particularly difficult day where I couldn't focus during an important team meeting, made my children cry over dinner, and felt like a failure as both a leader and a mother, I sat on our living room floor at 2 a.m., crying and repeating, "I can't do this." After hours of tears, I became still in the darkness. My entire life flashed before me, and I realized how lucky I was to have my amazing children, an understanding team, and a career that allowed me to support my family financially. For the first time in weeks, I glimpsed my strong, resilient, grateful self, and heard a voice from within: "You can do this. It will all work out." This shifted my thinking completely. My situation hadn't changed, but I had. I recognized I'd lost myself in misery and become a victim of my circumstances. I had forgotten to exercise my Power Quotient to choose an empowering response. The next day, I stayed in bed longer with my children. We went out for breakfast, hiked in the woods, visited the library, and watched cartoons together. I realized I'd fallen into a "task trap" at home, moving from task to task without enjoying time with my children—my most precious gifts and highest priority. That night I slept better than I had in weeks. During my weekly reflection time that Sunday evening, I added "achieving work-life balance" to both my short and long-term definitions of success. I applied my strategy of Intentional Attention to my personal life, adding my highest personal priorities to my PSP and structuring my time at home around them. I prioritized my personal well-being by scheduling "me time" every morning—45 minutes before waking my children for silent meditation, yoga stretches, and a healthy breakfast. Through many challenges and lessons learned, I established a work-life balance by following three principles: First, believe balance is possible—your mindset determines your reality. Second, nurture your inner well-being as your top priority, as it impacts everything else. Third, view every challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow. Create a narrative that helps you move forward stronger and wiser. The journey to work-life balance requires determining your personal priorities and scheduling them, setting boundaries between work and personal time, and making intentional choices. When your priorities are clear, you can make better decisions about what deserves your attention—both long-term and in the moment.

Chapter 4: Create Maximum Value in Every Interaction

Your worth to your organization is tightly coupled with the value you create. The higher the value, the higher your worth. You were hired to create a certain amount of value, you keep your job because you create that value, and you progress when the value you create exceeds expectations. At our hectic pace, without intentionality, we often run on autopilot, missing opportunities to maximize our contribution. When I started my career as a software developer at ETA Systems, I allowed internal barriers to sabotage my ability to create maximum value. As the only woman or one of very few in every room, I compared myself with colleagues who had degrees from prestigious universities, often with master's and PhDs. I convinced myself there was nothing I knew that they didn't already know and wondered if I belonged there. This put me in a pattern of undermining my capabilities and underestimating my worth. Three months into my job, during a Tuesday afternoon meeting discussing an urgent software testing problem, I had a great idea but was too afraid to speak up. Then, as if the idea jumped from my brain to my colleague sitting across from me, he said exactly what I'd been thinking. The room lit up with enthusiasm, and our bosses praised him for his unique solution to a critical problem. In the bathroom afterward, I chastised myself: "You should've spoken up! That could've been you!" Then it hit me: "It doesn't matter that I'm a woman of color, what my accent is, what university I went to, or how young I am. I have unique perspectives that can create value for my organization. My ideas do matter!" This change in belief from "My ideas don't matter" to "My ideas do matter" was the inner victory I needed. A few days later in another meeting, I had another great idea. Fear appeared again, but this time my voice of courage also whispered about all the things that could go right if I spoke up. I realized that fear and courage were voices in my head, but they were not me. I could intervene and manage these voices. I spoke to my fear: "I hear you loud and clear. I know you mean well, but this time I won't let you stop me." And then I spoke up. All eyes turned to me. My voice trembled, my stomach tightened, and my heart raced. But as soon as my idea leaped from my mouth, I felt a hundred-pound boulder lifted from my chest. My idea was well received, and I was the one getting the pat on the back. For the first time, I realized I had contributed value beyond my project and influenced the direction of my company. That moment taught me a powerful lesson: I owned the power to manage the voices in my head and intentionally choose an empowering response. This was when I coined the term "Power Quotient" (PQ)—your ability to scan your mental chatter and intentionally choose an empowering response to a disempowering stimulus. Many women face similar barriers to value creation. The first barrier is our "unders"—feeling underrepresented, undereducated, underprivileged, or underproficient. These cause us to undermine our capabilities, undervalue our opinions, and underestimate our worth. Don't let your unders keep the upper hand. Emerge from them by internalizing your competence and knowing your worth. Another barrier is workplace fears—fear of speaking up, being judged, failing, not being liked, drawing negative attention, seeming overly ambitious, or disappointing others. When fear appears to protect you, engage your voice of courage and ask, "What if it does work out?" Amplify your courage by giving it reasons why you must contribute value. Past programming can also limit us. Many women were taught that "girls are to be seen and not heard" or to conform rather than express differing viewpoints. These beliefs become deeply ingrained and require real effort to change. Remember, you're the author of your own programming, and you can rewrite it to install new beliefs. Communication skills are critical for creating value. It doesn't matter how great your ideas are inside your head; if you can't articulate them clearly, you can't create value for others. Learn to be clear and concise, speak with the right energy level, and use words that convey confidence. Eliminate undermining phrases like "I'm sorry, but..." or "I just wanted to say..." or "I'm no expert but..." Never ask if what you said makes sense; instead ask, "What's your perspective?" When someone interrupts you, remain calm, raise your voice slightly, ignore the interruption, and continue speaking. If necessary, look the person in the eye and say calmly, respectfully, and firmly, "Let me finish." You teach others how to treat you based on what you will and won't accept. Finally, be aware of biases and negative stereotypes but don't let them stop you from contributing value. When people question your capabilities, you can choose to let them get to you, or you can prove your capabilities and change their opinion. See their behaviors as an opportunity to educate them and help dismantle negative stereotypes—one person at a time. To accelerate your value creation, soar with your competences by aligning yourself with roles where you can excel. Master collaboration to multiply your impact—1+1 becomes greater than 2. And lean into your authenticity and uniqueness, which are your superpowers for creating high and unique value that can't be easily replaced or replicated.

Chapter 5: Step Outside Your Comfort Zone to Grow

"Growth and comfort do not coexist," as former IBM CEO Ginni Rometty wisely noted. When you show up to work every day with the intention of growing at your maximum capacity, your daily incremental growth compounds over time and becomes transformational. The only guarantee that you'll be better tomorrow is if you experience growth today. After achieving my goal of becoming a second-line sales leader, I set a new long-term goal: become an IBM executive. Competition for these positions was fierce, with openings infrequent and candidates from both inside and outside the organization. I sought guidance from Susan Whitney, a senior executive in our hardware business, hoping she'd sponsor me for an executive role there. Instead, she advised me to consider moving into IBM's software or services businesses, which were expanding and where executive openings would be more plentiful. Though I knew little about these areas, I decided to take a chance on myself. Through a connection with Carolyn Maher, an executive in our services organization, I interviewed and accepted a position in one of our fastest-growing services businesses. Their performance was suffering, and they needed a strong sales leader to turn things around. Two days after starting, I joined my first conference call and couldn't understand 75% of the conversation due to industry acronyms. I was completely outside my comfort zone, wondering how I could possibly add value or lead this organization. Adding to my discomfort, I learned that one of my direct reports had been the leading candidate for my position, and others believed I got the job because I was a woman of color. My mental chatter went wild with self-doubt: "What part of me was stupid enough to take this job? I'm doomed to fail." Fortunately, I'd improved my ability to exercise my Power Quotient and shifted my thoughts: "How lucky I am to have a role in a fast-growing business that could increase my chances of becoming an executive. I've navigated discomfort before; I can do it again." I sought help from a mentor who had made a similar transition. She advised: "It's natural to be uncomfortable in a new role. It shows you're pushing your boundaries—that's how you grow. You're not expected to know everything when you start. Just listen and learn. Be patient with yourself." I changed my approach, going to work each day intending to listen and learn while remembering I was a highly competent sales leader who could contribute once I understood the business. My intellectual curiosity became a critical growth driver. I learned from my boss, peers, mentors, team, clients, and even competitors. As I gained knowledge, I began contributing value, and we won some impressive deals. Despite this progress, we missed our first-quarter targets—the first time in my career I'd missed quarterly goals. Instead of dwelling on failure, I reframed my measure of success to focus on the tremendous growth I'd experienced. I had learned to lead a new team and business I knew nothing about, earn the support of skeptical team members, and use every challenge as a growth opportunity. This growth accelerated our success in the following quarters. We implemented "learning reviews" for every deal—win or lose—to continue learning from every experience. By year-end, we not only made up the first-quarter shortfall but exceeded our annual targets, becoming one of the top-performing teams with excellent client satisfaction. This experience taught me that setbacks from which you learn aren't failures—they're part of your growth journey. Stepping outside your comfort zone is your key growth driver. To do this effectively, follow these four steps: First, remember you're not the voices in your head. When fear says, "What if I fail?", use your Power Quotient to shift to "What if I don't fail?" or "What can I learn from this experience?" Second, ask for help when needed. Successful people have been in your shoes and will often willingly assist. Third, own the narrative of your experience. When doubting your decision, recall other uncomfortable situations you've navigated and tell yourself, "If I could handle that, I can learn and grow from this." Fourth, celebrate success or reframe failure. If you achieve your desired outcome, congratulate yourself. If not, reflect on your growth and use it to accelerate future success. Other tools to accelerate growth include moving to high-growth sectors where opportunities abound, seeking and applying feedback to address blind spots, and committing to lifelong learning through formal education, books, podcasts, conferences, and more. Remember that it's crucial to actually apply what you learn rather than constantly acquiring knowledge without implementation. The most important benefit of stepping outside your comfort zone is uncovering capabilities you didn't know you had. Each time you push your boundaries, you create an upward spiral of competence and confidence that propels you toward leadership roles and beyond.

Chapter 6: Build Meaningful Relationships That Elevate You

Intentionally building and deepening meaningful relationships will not only accelerate your success at every career stage but also make your journey richer, more fulfilling, and more fun. As author Alex Haley noted with the turtle-on-a-fence-post metaphor: no one gets to a high position without help. Without my relationships, I would never have become the leader I am today. Professional relationships weren't the only connections that elevated me; personal relationships shaped who I am and give meaning to my life. Growing up in a community-centered environment surrounded by extended family, I learned the importance of relationships early. However, when I started my career, I struggled with building professional connections when no one in my workplace looked like me. The turning point came when I recognized my own worth and felt good about the value I created. I realized what mattered wasn't my appearance, education, or experience, but my capabilities and ideas that contributed to organizational success. Collaborating around value creation became the common ground for building professional relationships. I learned that we are more similar than different, but because differences are visible and similarities aren't always obvious, we must intentionally look for them. The way you make people feel in every interaction forms your relationships. As Maya Angelou beautifully expressed, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Become intentional about how you want others to feel when interacting with them. While every relationship matters, four categories are especially critical for emerging as a leader: your boss, peers, mentors, and sponsors. For all relationships, ensure trust and integrity by being truthful and transparent, following through on commitments, being consistent in behavior, clarifying expectations, seeking to understand others, developing effective listening skills, choosing words carefully, not taking things personally, and keeping conversations confidential. The single most important relationship is with your immediate boss. Though you might think you work for an organization, you actually work for your boss. They determine your promotions, assignments, awards, salary, performance appraisal, and retention. They represent you to senior executives and can help you emerge as a leader—or not. While both sides are responsible for making the relationship work, be proactive in building it. Your success is tied to helping your boss succeed, so look for every opportunity to do so. Build a trusted win-win professional relationship by understanding their priorities and making them your own, creating value that leads to their success, asking thoughtful questions during meetings, expressing appreciation when they help you, sharing your values appropriately, making them your partner in both achievements and challenges, and praising them to others in their network. What you think about your boss matters significantly. Don't expect perfection; find good in them and focus on strengths that make them successful. The basic building block of any relationship is your mental model of the other person. If you form a negative mental model, you'll view all their actions through that lens, as illustrated by my mentee who initially saw her new boss's challenging assignments as evidence the boss didn't like her and wanted her to fail. When she shifted her perspective to see these assignments as opportunities for growth, everything changed. She started enjoying her work instead of resenting it, built a trusted relationship with her boss, and within a year received a promotion. Your peer relationships make day-to-day work enjoyable and provide support when needed. They might also become your mentors, bosses, or sponsors as you both advance. Build these relationships by understanding your peers, offering help when needed, showing support during personal difficulties, sincerely celebrating their successes, never engaging in gossip, noticing and mentioning their strengths, and acknowledging their role in your success. Mentor relationships are often misunderstood but critically important. A mentor lends expertise for your career success, inspires you, helps navigate your career, guides you, shares fresh perspectives, offers understanding during struggles, builds your confidence, and celebrates your progress. Before seeking a mentor, clarify why you want one and what you hope to gain. Different types include long-term mentors (two or more years), short-term mentors (for specific situations), personal mentors (for personal growth), and connector mentors (who help make introductions). Find mentors through your boss, employee resource groups, women's groups, industry events, common acquaintances, or direct outreach. When connecting with potential mentors, be specific about what you need and why they're the best to provide it. Build the relationship by expressing appreciation for their time, being comfortably vulnerable, coming prepared with focused questions, praising them to others, respecting their time, following through on their advice, and building trust through overcoming challenges together. Sponsor relationships are the most difficult but crucial for reaching executive levels. A sponsor is an influential leader typically two levels higher than you who advocates for you when you're considered for high-visibility assignments or promotions. They put their credibility on the line, so you must give them reasons to sponsor you. The more they've witnessed your performance in different situations over time, the more likely they'll advocate for you. Identify potential sponsors and attract them by seeking high-stakes assignments, engaging them in complex situations, volunteering to be a spokesperson, winning prestigious awards, and asking for advice when their specific expertise would help. By intentionally building these four types of relationships, you create a network that accelerates your success while making your career journey more meaningful and enjoyable.

Chapter 7: Develop Your Authentic Leadership Brand

Your leadership brand—essentially your personal brand with leadership attributes—determines how you're known and plays a critical role in your emergence as a leader. While your personal brand is formed by others based on the impressions you leave, it's about intentionally becoming the person you want to be known as, not agonizing over others' opinions or pretending to be someone you're not. Many women believe leadership isn't for them because they don't see leaders who look like them or think leaders are "born, not made." This isn't true—leadership is learned behavior. If you've taken initiative to improve any aspect of your life or influence others to improve theirs, you're already demonstrating leadership. Everyone has the capacity to lead, and you can intentionally learn whatever skills you need. When I received my first promotion to sales leader, I had to intentionally change my brand from subject matter expert to leader. Initially, I joined my team members on client calls and took over meetings, thinking I was adding value with my sales expertise. I quickly noticed I wasn't being invited to client calls anymore. When I asked why, I learned the team didn't appreciate my taking over—the hallway conversation was "Don't take her on a call; she'll take over." Embarrassed by this unintentional negative branding, I apologized to team members and promised to change. When someone took a chance and invited me to a client call, I prepared differently. I visualized myself sitting in the meeting as a leader rather than taking over, set an intention not to dominate, and even wrote "Don't take over" on my palm as a reminder to exercise my Power Quotient. Though difficult, I managed to behave like a leader and add value only when needed. Word spread about my changed approach, and invitations increased. Eventually, I transformed my brand from someone who takes over client calls to a leader who adds value appropriately. A month later, I attended training for first-time managers where I learned another crucial leadership lesson. When asked to complete the sentence "Treat your team the way ________," I quickly answered "the way you want to be treated." The instructor corrected me with what's now known as the platinum rule: "Treat your team the way THEY want to be treated." This insight made me realize leadership isn't about me but about the people I lead. I adopted a beginner's mindset and became a student of leadership—reading books, observing respected leaders, learning from clients, and seeking growth opportunities everywhere. I incorporated these leadership attributes into my interactions until they became part of my nature, creating my unique leadership brand that combined newly acquired leadership skills with my personal attributes and sales expertise. Your current brand forms the foundation for your leadership brand and impacts your career significantly. During annual recognition meetings at IBM, I witnessed how personal branding influenced decisions. When advocating for team members to receive the prestigious Hundred Percent Club award, what others said about them—their personal brand—often became the tiebreaker. Personal branding also affects job searches. Many organizations use behavior-based interviewing to evaluate candidates, looking beyond the resume to uncover personal attributes that separate stars from superstars. Similarly, promotions depend heavily on your brand. One woman I mentored, Seema, missed a promotion opportunity because she had inadvertently created a brand of someone overwhelmed at her current level by working excessive hours and constantly checking emails. Her boss feared promoting her would set her up for failure. By setting boundaries and improving work-life balance, she not only earned her promotion the following year but was better prepared to handle increased responsibility. Building a stellar personal brand takes years, but sustaining it requires consistency and vigilance. Recognize when you're feeling out of sorts due to health issues, relationship problems, or workplace tensions, as these can adversely affect your behavior. When this happens, become aware of your feelings, pause, and exercise your Power Quotient to choose a response aligned with your desired brand. If your behavior slips for an extended period, you'll form a new, less favorable brand. Even after creating a leadership brand, continue improving it as you rise higher. Today's uncertain business landscape constantly creates situations beyond your control, providing perfect opportunities to learn new leadership skills. When you intentionally keep enhancing your leadership brand, it helps you advance into senior roles and becomes how your teams will remember you long after your career ends. To develop your leadership brand, start by understanding your current personal brand and desired leadership attributes. Reinforce your current brand by intentionally leaving impressions that demonstrate your business expertise and personal attributes, especially your unique ones. Then add leadership attributes one or two at a time, starting with those easiest for you to master. For example, to become known as an effective listener, learn about the skill, set daily intentions to listen effectively, use reminders like writing "listen" on your palm, ask trusted colleagues for feedback, and create consequences for interrupting others. As you master each leadership attribute, intentionally demonstrate it in your interactions until it becomes part of your brand, then move to the next attribute. This process ensures you're viewed as a leader before you're promoted, setting you up for success in leadership roles.

Chapter 8: Position Yourself Strategically for Promotion

As you execute and master the first seven strategies, you'll gain deep knowledge of your worth and demonstrate it in all interactions and achievements—proving you're ready for promotion to a leadership role. However, you must intentionally position yourself for consideration and pursue your well-deserved promotion with discipline, determination, and a strategic plan. Women face additional obstacles beyond the traditional challenges of promotion. In most organizations, the scarcity of women in leadership roles makes it difficult for decision-makers to envision us as leaders. Many women also feel uncomfortable advocating for themselves, preferring to wait for others to recognize their capabilities. This passive approach contributes to the gender disparity in leadership positions. I want you to commit right now that you'll give everything you have to get promoted into a leadership position and continue reaching for senior roles. Never give up on yourself. Your promotion isn't just for you but for all women who will come after you—you're blazing a trail that creates gender parity in leadership roles. Our world needs women like you with unique perspectives, compassionate viewpoints, and ingenious ideas to bring positive change. My first promotion came after 10 years in my career, when I was 36 with two young children. I had found my perfect role in sales at IBM and defined my long-term success as becoming a sales leader within five years. After moving to Seattle, I accepted a challenging position selling to competitors' clients—a role most people avoided due to its difficulty. For months, I faced rejection after rejection, not closing a single deal in my first five months. Instead of giving up, I framed every loss as a learning opportunity. Eventually, my resilience and determination paid off with a multimillion-dollar deal that became a turning point in my career. This "impossible" win earned me multiple prestigious awards and gave me visibility with senior executives, including Rodney Adkins, who was five levels higher than my boss. As I continued winning impressive deals and demonstrating leadership skills, I decided it was time to initiate a promotion conversation. I met with my boss and asked four critical questions: What do I need to demonstrate to be considered? Are there gaps in my skills to fill? What are your decision-making criteria? What is the decision-making process? His positive response and guidance helped me prepare, and eight months later, I competed for and received my first promotion to sales leader. Before pursuing promotion, fulfill three prerequisites. First, know that you deserve it—your mindset determines your actions. Second, ensure an opportunity exists—preparation without opportunity won't lead to promotion. Third, acknowledge and embrace pivots that may be necessary due to life circumstances, as I did when I left IBM temporarily because I couldn't relocate while my children were in high school. To become the best candidate for promotion, follow four steps. First, master the first seven strategies in this book, treating each day as an interview for your next promotion. Second, demonstrate leadership skills by taking initiative on projects that give decision-makers a front-row seat to witness your capabilities. Third, share your leadership ambition openly with peers, managers, and executives so everyone knows you're working toward promotion. Fourth, engage mentors and others who can help by asking what you need to demonstrate, how they got promoted, and what leadership attributes helped them succeed. Once you're ready, initiate the promotion process by having a conversation with your boss. Share highlights of your work that prove you're ready for more responsibility. If your boss supports you, ask when an opportunity might arise, what the decision criteria and process are, what you need to demonstrate, and if there are skill gaps to fill. If gaps exist, create a promotion-readiness plan and schedule follow-up meetings to track progress. If no gaps exist, ask for agreement to compete for the next opening. Next, gain support from decision-makers and influencers by researching who they are and meeting with them to seek guidance and advocate for yourself. When a position opens and you're selected as a candidate, prepare thoroughly for interviews. Enter with confidence knowing you're the best candidate, mention why the role matters to you, and express that you'll take the responsibility seriously if selected. If you compete and don't get the job because someone else was more qualified, obtain feedback and work on those areas for next time. However, consider looking elsewhere if you receive no concrete feedback, notice a pattern of less qualified people being promoted, have excellent reviews but no support for promotion, or are offered a promotion in name only without appropriate responsibility or compensation. When you do get promoted—and you will—celebrate in a big way! Reflect on your journey, recognize your effort, and be grateful for the opportunity to lead. Remember that leadership is a privilege that comes with amplified impact. Strive to be the leader you wish you had, treating your team with respect and having their backs. Use your influence to advocate for other women, mentor high-potential women, and help create gender parity at all leadership levels. Your impact and ability to create a rising tide that lifts more women will grow as you rise higher. Together,

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Shelmina Babai Abji

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