The 2026 International Women’s Day theme was Give to Gain, highlighting the power of generosity and collaboration to advance women’s equality.
At Forté, where these conversations happen year-round and not just when the social media calendar declares it International Women’s Day, we found ourselves interpreting the theme a little differently.
In a note to the Forté community, our CEO Elissa Sangster captured it well:
What if generosity isn’t something we offer after opportunity appears, but something we practice to create opportunity in the first place?"
That perspective framed our International Women’s Day programming this year. During our recent session with leadership expert Melody Wilding, it played out in real time.
Melody generously shared insights from her work coaching high-performing professionals and from her newest book, Managing Up. Judging by the pace of the chat during the session, the ideas clearly resonated with the Forté community.
Here are a few of the insights that stood out most.
Self-advocacy is about clarity, not self-promotion
Many professionals hesitate to talk about their work because they worry about sounding self-promotional.
Melody offered a helpful reframe. Strong self-advocacy is not about exaggerating accomplishments or taking credit for everything. Instead, it is about what she calls fact-based reporting, grounded in three elements:
- Accuracy – what actually happened
- Relevance – how the work connects to current goals
- Context – why the results matter
This approach shifts the focus away from the individual and toward the impact of the work itself. It helps decision makers understand what is happening and why it matters.
Visibility often happens in small moments
When people think about visibility, they often imagine large moments such as presentations or major announcements.
But Melody highlighted how visibility frequently happens in everyday interactions:
- one-on-one conversations with managers
- quick updates during meetings
- informal conversations with colleagues
- follow-up messages after discussions
Being prepared with examples of your work can make these moments much more effective. Melody encourages professionals to maintain what she calls a “story bank,” a simple record of examples that demonstrate skills, results, and lessons learned.
Over time, this practice not only helps others understand your work, it also helps you recognize the value you are creating.
Evidence strengthens credibility
Another key insight from the session focused on the power of evidence.
When people can see the results of your work through numbers, feedback, testimonials, or partnerships, it becomes easier for others to understand the scope and significance of what you have accomplished.
Evidence transforms vague claims into clear signals of impact.
Continuing the spirit of Give to Gain
Melody’s session was a powerful example of what Give to Gain looks like in practice.
By sharing her expertise with the Forté community and creating a SPEAK Scorecard assessment to help participants evaluate their communication and self-advocacy skills, she demonstrated how generosity can expand opportunity for others.
For those who would like to explore these ideas further:
- Take Melody’s SPEAK Scorecard assessment here
- Learn more in her book Managing Up
- Watch the webinar replay
When leaders share knowledge, tools, and insights openly, they do more than help individuals grow. They strengthen the entire community.
And that is the spirit of Give to Gain.
