Influence is not the room you are allowed into. It is who still calls you when the room empties.
The women I have watched lead most effectively are rarely the loudest in the room. They are the ones whose names come up when the decision is actually being made, which is usually somewhere else entirely.
Mentoring taught me that influence is built in small, unglamorous exchanges: the reference letter sent on time, the introduction made without being asked, the honest answer about a resume that is not working.
The next generation does not need us to be perfect. They need us to be present, and to be specific.
Published in The History Issue
