We’re told to chase respect, not power. Titles, not power. Influence, not power.

Because when women reach for it, suddenly it’s “too much.”

But power isn’t just CEOs or prime ministers. It’s everyday architecture. It’s whether your emails get answered first. It’s whether your “no” lands as policy or as suggestion.

I just wrote about this: 15 power truths no one told me (so I will).

From knowing your leverage in negotiations, to building visibility that compounds, to why optionality, not money, is the ultimate flex.

Because ladders are borrowed.

But the staircase you build is yours forever.