Three leadership lessons that took my mentee from stuck to promoted
In a recent leadership mentoring session, I worked with a mentee who, like many women I mentor, felt invisible in her male-dominated workplace. Despite her dedication, expertise, and long hours, she had been passed over for leadership roles multiple times. She was frustrated, exhausted, and questioning why her hard work wasn’t being recognized.
If this resonates with you, then you’re not alone. Many women stepping into leadership roles face this same challenge. Today, I want to walk you through a real case study of how we tackled this issue head-on, and what lessons you can take away from this experience.
My mentee, let’s call her Sarah, had been in her role for over a decade. She had consistently gone above and beyond—taking on extra projects, managing her team, and pushing herself. Yet, every time a leadership role opened up, she watched as it was given to someone else—often less experienced and less dedicated.
“I’ve worked harder than anyone else here. I’m always available, I take on every project, but it never seems to be enough. What am I doing wrong?”
