@yasarahmad_: Check the link in my bio to find out immediately how to get promoted without playing politics, get that new job and be seen as a leader + get my free audio book. There's a four-letter word killing your authority in meetings, and you say it without noticing. 'Just.' 'I just wanted to share an idea.' 'I just wanted to check something.' 'Just bumping this.' Every 'just' is you apologising for taking up space. It tells the room: this probably isn't important, don't take it too seriously, sorry for existing. People then take it exactly as seriously as you framed it. Which is barely. Swap it for one word. 'Here.' 'Here's an idea worth a look.' 'Here's where I've landed.' 'Here's something we need to deal with.' Same sentence. Ten times the weight. You went from asking permission to making a contribution. It's worse in writing, because there it's just you on the page. 'Just checking in.' 'Just a quick one.' Cut 'just' out of your emails this week and watch how much faster people reply when you stop pre-shrinking every message. You set the frame for how seriously you're taken. Stop setting it to small. Send this to yourself as a reminder and follow for more.
