Dear Corporate Girlies,
Welcome to our new newsletter for ambitious women who want careers and joy, promotions and peWelcome back to the newsletter for women who want to build a satisfying career and live a fulfilling life.
Let’s start with a question: Have you ever had to rely on trust and influence to get things done?
If you’ve been in the workplace for more than five minutes, the answer is yes. Even if you didn't realize it.
Many jobs ago, I was in an individual contributor role, responsible for scaling a campaign playbook I’d built. The model worked. The results were clear. The Colorado team wasn’t convinced. After an hour of answering questions and trying to win them over, I finally said, “Please just try it once. If it doesn’t work, you can go back to doing it your way next time.”
It was a last‑ditch plea to get them on board. At the time, I thought my challenge was a lack of authority. Looking back, it was really a lack of trust.
While authority can get people to comply, trust is what gets them to buy in.
We see this all the time at work. Some managers have authority but aren’t influential. Other people have no formal authority at all, yet colleagues seek out their ideas and follow their lead.
That's because trust is the foundation of influence.
And that's a lesson that applies at every stage of your career. Whether you're managing up, down or across, work gets done through relationships. Trust and influence aren't leadership skills you develop later. They're skills you should start using from day 1.
Show people they can trust you and over time, your influence will grow.
How to Build Trust at Work
- Be reliable. Follow through. Do what you say you’ll do. Own your mistakes and align your actions with your values.
- Listen to understand. People trust those who make them feel seen, heard, and valued.
- Be cool and be curious. Make it safe to ask questions, share ideas, and admit mistakes. Assume positive intent.
- Be transparent. Set clear expectations. When information is missing, people fill in the blanks with worst‑case scenarios.
- Be so for real. Show genuine interest in others. Celebrate their wins. Recognize their work.
At its core, trust requires intention, consistency, and honesty.
Power Skill of the Month: Office Politics
I think I just heard you roll your eyes. But hear me out.
Trust and influence are at the heart of office politics. The good news? Navigating them doesn't require compromising your values.
Skeptical? Dr. Rosalind Chow, professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business, breaks down how to thrive amid office politics. Her message: it’s absolutely possible to benefit from political behavior and still maintain your integrity.
Career Question of the Month
When it comes to upskilling, what should you actually be focused on?
Don’t worry — AI is not at the top of our list. Yes, it’s everywhere. Yes, you should be able to talk about how you use it. But the skills our partner companies continue to emphasize are the durable, human, leadership‑driving skills that matter no matter what technology does next.
Skills That Move Your Career Forward
- Leadership
- Executive presence
- Strategic and analytical problem‑solving
- Business acumen
- Financial and market understanding
- Professional maturity
- Curiosity
- Clear, effective communication
- The ability to work well with others
These are the skills that help you grow, get promoted, and lead in any industry, in any economy, in any era.
Talk soon,
P.S. The Group Chat Is Also Debating
- Women run a record 11% of Fortune 500 companies in 2026 - why aren’t we hearing more about it?
- P!nk and the epic celebration of leading ladies at the Tony Awards
- Where are the women in AI? They’re holding the purse strings.
- According to google search data, we’re back in the early 2000s
- Wait, what else are people searching right now?
Send your best advice (or your best chaos): marketing@fortefoundation.org.
