The secret behind speaking up fearlessly in front of senior executives

I remember my experience in weekly staff meetings with a VP. I was the only Asian woman, the only non-English native speaker, and the most junior person in the room.

Instead of speaking confidently and calmly about what was on my mind, I was busy figuring out what these senior leaders would love to hear from me, what I should talk about, and how I could fit in more.

The desire to perform and impress made me anxious and nervous, so I would miss the perfect moment to chime in. After the meeting, I regretted it, blamed myself, and felt like an impostor and didn’t belong to these senior meetings.

The shift happened when I started to realize, after working with a coach for almost 6 months:

Of course, my perspective and true opinion matter, and by sharing them loudly, I contributed the most to the meeting. Otherwise, why would I be invited to these meetings? Why would I have a seat at the table?

To remember and embody this shift sustainably, I made myself a list of reminders, which I would love to share with you all.

• We matter, regardless of our race, background, tenure, gender and titles;
• Our unique perspectives matter;
• By being who we are and staying loyal to who we are, we contribute the most;
• We can trust others and trust they would love to hear us;

This list has helped me speak more in my corporate career in the past.

This list also empowered me to post fearlessly on social media now because I want more people to know me and my work.

And I hope the list can serve you as powerfully as it serves me.

Have a great rest of the day, everyone:-).