I wasn't invited to speak at that White House Summit. I walked to the microphone anyway...legs shaking, heart pounding...because I knew that if I sat in my chair and said nothing, nobody in that room would ever know the work we were doing. The cost of staying silent was higher than the cost of being seen. That calculation changed everything.

Can I say something gently, the way I would if we were sitting across from each other with an almond milk latte? If you’ve ever walked out of a meeting thinking, “Dang it. I should have said that,” you’re not alone.

Let me tell you about the time I felt like a baby seal being skewered during a job interview. I was living in Colorado, interviewing for a job in the energy sector.

This one is for you–a powerful woman leader in STEM. I see you sitting in your power suit around the ‘big boy’ table. I see you. But do they?

Last month’s blog post covered situational leadership and its importance. I distinguished four types — visionary, coaching, delegating, and directing.