Samantha was an up-and-comer in her profession and as an entrepreneur was sought after for her expertise. A male colleague recommended her for a civic committee appointment. She accepted and joined the group.

As she walked into the room for the first meeting, her confidence flew out the window. Seated at the table, were elected officials and CEOs of major companies donating their time for the good of their city. Samantha was the youngest in the room and stepping into her first participation on such a committee. She was so intimidated she could barely speak.

Samantha’s intimidation was reinforced when, expressing her ideas, she was consistently interrupted by men on the committee. When the group’s final report was delivered to the city and the committee’s assignment was completed, the male colleague who recommended her got in touch. He asked her why she had been so quiet throughout the process. He went on to say that she had so much to offer yet seemed reluctant to do so.

As she thought about his comments and her participation, she knew he was right. The call prompted her to not only reflect on the situation but also to take steps to build her confidence and develop a strong voice.

Samantha started with a promise to herself to add value to every meeting with a comment or suggestion and to eliminate qualifiers such as, “This may not be a good idea but . . .” She replaced them with strong statements like, “I have a new........

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