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In honor of International Women's History month, I am wrapping up a series of proven processes that drive promotion velocity, retention protection, and a deeper leadership bench for rising women leaders.

Two levers that can be massively underestimated are emotional resilience and developing intentional internal strategic partnerships.

Internal strategic partners go beyond mentorship and sponsorship.They provide support from emotional drag, from ego-driven interference, and from the quiet productivity loss that happens when high-performing women are carrying too much internally while delivering at the highest levels externally.

When you give rising women leaders the tools and the right strategic partners to help navigate workplace complexities ... They thrive. And so does your organization.

The Emotional Tax Is Real ... and It Is Worth Addressing

Research confirms what many women leaders already know. There is a significant emotional tax for women in the workplace, and it tends to intensify the higher they rise, especially for women who are further marginalized within our gender.

It can look like confidence issues on the surface. But what is actually happening can be more specific ... navigating power dynamics that were not designed with them in mind, staying composed through ego-driven behavior, and carrying unspoken pressure to be exceptional, approachable, and productive all at once.

When women have the right tools, they do not just survive. They thrive and ascend in the process while not feeling depleted or burned out. That is where the real performance uplift lives.

What Becomes Possible When Women Leaders Have World-Class Tools AND Internal Support

Three high-leverage outcomes show up when women leaders are equipped with emotional resilience tools and supported by strong strategic partnerships.

Productivity is pressured ... and profitability improves. Leaders who can anchor down and move forward protect execution. Women leaders with the right tools stay productive and keep driving outcomes regardless of what is happening around them. Influence expands even in challenging personality dynamics. The leaders who build lasting influence are not the ones who get (understandably) annoyed, frustrated, angry, or overwhelmed by difficult deadlines and challenging colleagues.

The First Lever: Build Confidence in Your Future Self Now

My business mentor said: new level, new devil.

A leader may feel completely grounded and confident in her current scope. The moment she looks toward the next level, that is where the new challenge appears. And that is where real growth begins.

For others to be confident in us, we must be confident in ourselves first. And that confidence can absolutely be built.

The Second Lever: Choose Strategic Partners With the End in Mind

Organizations can empower rising female leaders to think with the end in mind.

Imagine the role... the bigger scope, the executive seat, your next level of influence. Now ask: who is the most important person I will need aligned with me at that level?

Owning the important conversations. Knowing their worth, perspective, experience, and execution power.. How to make conversations genuinely valuable for strategic partners while being clear on desired outcomes.

That is what transforms internal networking into strategic partnership.

Permission to reach for the person who feels "too senior" or "too far away."

Here’s to an impactful year of empowered women leaders!

If I can support you or your organization through speaking, one-on-one coaching, or peer advisory masterminds, reach out to me directly.

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In honor of International Women's Day 2026, I am continuing this series on what drives promotion velocity, a deeper leadership bench, and lasting influence for women leaders.

Here is what I know from 25 years of working with world-class athletes, Olympians, executives, and rising leaders:

It’s very possible that you are more ready than you think to have a bigger voice at the bigger table.

And with the right preparation, even the most challenging rooms become rooms where you are highly influential.

A phrase from a business mentor of mine used to say:

New level, new devil.

Let’s make sure you’re prepared for those important future moments, bigger rooms, and the leader you aspire to be, now!

So before you are thinking of making a big ask, having an even bigger voice, or contribution at a bigger table, here are three proven strategies to prepare:

Step 1: Do Your Homework Through Their Lens
Preparing our message is essential. However, what most do not do is prepare through the other person’s lens, preparing for their reality.

One of our most important needs as human beings is feeling heard and valued. If we don’t it’s challenging to trust that the other person has our best interest at heart.

I call this developing an ECO Mindset, developing empathy for the other, curiosity for their condition, and optimism for the desired outcome. Not simply "What must it be like for them?" ... but fully stepping into their perspective.

Ask yourself as if you are the other person:

What is keeping me up at night? What would make my life significantly easier right now? What am I most focused on protecting or losing?

When we can answer those questions with confidence, we walk in already ahead. We are no longer just presenting our case ... we are speaking directly to what matters most to them. That is where trust deepens and the runway to influence is built.

Step 2: Get Crystal Clear on Your Give
Give to Gain is a mindset that changes everything about how you enter a room.

Instead of only asking, "What do I want from this conversation?" expand it:

What do I have to contribute? What value and perspective do I uniquely bring, and own it! How do I want them to feel when we are done?

This one shift moves you from seeking approval to creating value. And that changes everything ... your posture, your presence, your tone, and your influence.

You have more to give than you realize. Walk in knowing that.

Step 3: Walk In as a Respectful Equal
Our mindset about our worth comes through in everything ...in our tone, our cadence, our eye contact, our presence. Only a small fraction of what lands in our communication is the words. Most of it is energy, body language, and how we show up.

So walk in knowing that you belong in that room. Walk in as a respectful equal who is there to create something powerful together.

Here's to you not just having a seat at the table ... but having a bigger, bolder, more influential voice at that table too.

If I can support you, your team, or your organization, please reach out to me directly at Sheryl@SherylKline.com.

I'm cheering you on, always!

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If you’ve ever ‘choked’ during an important conversation, it means that you’re human and that you care deeply about the outcome which is great! What’s not so great is that many times our inability to emotionally regulate robs us of our ability to influence, especially when the stakes are high.

Here’s a look at my recent closed session at SFVegas for the Rising Stars cohort at Women in Securitization. The focus was on Clarity, and what I'm about to share works any time of year, especially when you're facing pressure, uncertainty, or a high stakes moment.

We're exploring three Olympic-level strategies that rarely get the attention they deserve, yet they change everything when you use them with intention: Agency, Identity, and Rituals. And if you love having a sense of control (that’s me!), you're going to find these very effective:

1) Agency: You Have More Than You Think

The root cause for non-clinical anxiety is almost always the same, fixating on things we cannot control: how we'll be perceived by others, how the audience will react, whether you'll get the job, promotion, or the raise. Those are real concerns, but the outcome is not fully within our power to determine.

Agency is the antidote, because it draws your attention back to what we can actually control. It's knowing exactly what you DO have control over and shifting your attention to those one or two things. The simplest way to build agency quickly is to decide two things: What is my desired outcome?, and What steps are within my control to move toward it? You may not have agency over whether the promotion materializes, but you absolutely have agency over the people you talk to, the skills you build, the conversations you initiate, and the commitments you keep.

2) Identity: Be Your Future Leader Starting Now!

You've heard me say it before: new level, new devil. Any time you stretch into a bigger role or bigger visibility, that little voice may show up. "Who do you think you are? You're not ready."

Feeling like an imposter? Good! It means that you’ve raised your hand to dream bigger, be in the rooms that make you uncomfortable, and raise your hand for positions that challenge youRather than fight it, acknowledge it, validate it, and then choose your next-level identity anyway. Identity is not a title. It's an internal agreement. If you want to be a director, VP, or higher, start thinking and operating like you are in that role now. If you want to be in bigger rooms, start carrying yourself like you belong in them now. Your current identity will always pull your behavior back to what's familiar, but your next-level identity pulls your behavior forward and creates the conditions for others to see you at that level, too.

3) Rituals: The Missing Link Between Confidence and Consistency

There's often confusion between habits and rituals.. A habit is something you do consistently with flexibility. For example, I exercise every morning before work. Occasionally, I have an early meeting, so my exercise happens after my work day. A ritual happens at a specific time and does not change. For example, prior to all coaching sessions, I take three deep breaths and commit to being fully present. Rituals create stability inside uncertainty.

Read more and watch my video at: https://www.sherylkline.com/blog/agency-over-anxiety-the-three-levers-that-create-clarity-when-stakes-are-high

If I can support you, your team, or your organization, please reach out to me directly at Sheryl@SherylKline.com.

I'm cheering you on, always!
- Sheryl

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In honor of International Women’s Day 2026, I’m sharing a series of research backed and proven processes that truly moves the needle for women in leadership and the organizations that rely on them.

In the coming weeks, we’ll focus on promotion velocity, retention protection, deepening the leadership bench, and avoiding lost productivity and lost revenue during disruptive times.

Given these proven tools, repeatable processes, and pressure proofed frameworks, companies can gain measurable progress, especially when the stakes are high. Today’s focus is on two underestimated levers with outsized impact:

• emotional resilience
• strategic sponsorship

As a two-time best selling author, speaker, and certified high performance executive coach, I help women leaders and rising leaders build Olympic level confidence and FBI grade strategic influence that will help them successfully deepen and manage key relationships (internally and externally) as well remain highly performing during disruptive or during times of change.First, let’s talk about the many times, invisible roadblocks.

Emotional tax is alive and well. The research tells us that it gets more expensive at higher levels AND for women who are further marginalized within our gender.

That matters because as stakes rise, the cost of carrying too much without the right tools and strategic sponsorship rises too. If organizations want to retain executive and high potential women, accelerate promotion velocity, and deepen their leadership bench, emotional resilience cannot be left to chance.

Neither can strategic sponsorships.

What if female leaders have both?

Three things.

1. Productivity holds under pressure ... and profitability improves
   During disruption, leaders who can anchor down and keep moving protect performance. When women leaders have the tools to stay grounded, organizations avoid costly drops in execution, momentum, and outcomes. This is not just leadership development. It’s profitable.
2. Leaders stop getting pulled into ego driven dynamics
   Ego and narcissistic behaviors exist in many workplaces, internally and externally. Without tools, these dynamics drain bandwidth, derail confidence, and create unnecessary conflict. With the right tools and partnerships, women learn to distance themselves from those behaviors, maneuver around them, and in some cases, get those personalities on their side to support outcomes. That is emotionally protective and tactically smart.
3. Trust and loyalty deepen ... and relationships weather the storm
   AI matters. And if we hit disruption, what carries organizations through is not technology alone. It’s trust, loyalty, and relationships. Leaders who deepen trust and build stronger relationships create stability during instability. That is how companies stay productive and profitable when things get noisy.

What can organizations give?

First, give proven strategies to sharpen Clarity from the third person.

If you’ve been in my community for a bit, you’ve heard me say....

Read more at: https://www.sherylkline.com/blog/promotion-velocity-and-retention-protection-via-emotional-resilience-and-strategic-partnerships

If you would like to learn more about the Fearless Female Leadership enterprise digital framework, please click below. I’m glad to share more. And if I can support you or your organization through speaking, coaching, or peer advisory mastermind work, I’d love to partner to help you help the leaders in your organization. Let's chat!

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One of the questions I’m asked frequently, whether I’m leading a mastermind cohort, working one on one with clients, or speaking from a stage, is this:

“What is the successful sequence of making a ‘big ask’ and receiving buy-in?”

And this applies internally ... asking for new scope, a title, compensation, or resources.

It also applies externally ... asking a client to commit, expand, renew, or say yes to a bigger engagement.

Most people think the ask is the moment that matters most.

It’s not.

The ‘ask’ is the fourth step.

If you want buy-in, you need the right sequence ... because the sequence is what makes the ask feel like a solution, not a request for the other to give something up.

So, the next time you commit to making a big ask, consider the following:

Step 1: Build a Trust and Safety Runway

Before you ask for anything, it’s important to build a trust and safety runway.

Not trust that you can get something done or competence trust.

Explicit communication that demonstrates rust that you understand and care about the other person’s perspective/condition.

Trust that you are paying attention to what they’re carrying. This creates safety for them to lean into what you’re asking.

This is a need, not a bonus. In our hierarchy of needs, we need to feel safe and cared for. And this step is often overlooked.

So what does it look like?

It sounds like an explicit concern. Keep in mind, to sound like you care it’s imperative that you do!

• “It sounds like this quarter is carrying a lot of weight for you.”
• “It sounds like you’re being asked to hold a lot of priorities at once.”
• “It seems like this issue is incredibly important.”

And here’s the beautiful part:

It is okay if you are slightly off.

If you say, “It sounds like XYZ is the main concern,” and you’re not perfectly right, people will correct you ... and most people actually love to correct you.

That correction creates clarity. And clarity creates connection.

Step 2: Name Their Loss Pain ... and Truly Care About It

Next is loss pain.

Loss pain is a huge driver of motivation, even more so than potential benefits. Before making an ask, it’s important to understand what the other person is trying to avoid losing.

It’s not enough to state someone’s loss pain though.

Again, it’s vital to genuinely care about it ... and you have to communicate that care.

How?

Slow your speaking down a little. Lean in a little. Be present.

If you’re talking about lost revenue, lost traction, lost progress, or losing momentum in the quarter ... do not rush past it. Do not deliver it like a bullet point.

Let it land with weight.

Because how you deliver it is part of how you build trust.

And if you do this well, the other person will feel something important:

“This person understands AND cares what I’m carrying.”

Step 3: Let It Sit ... Then End on a Crescendo

This is where timing becomes everything.

When you take someone low emotionally, it’s memorable which is good! However, the “last impression is the lasting impression” as a mentor of mine says, so we don’t want to end a conversation there. It is okay if there’s a pause.

To read further and gain more in-depth perspective viewing my video, visit my blog at: https://www.sherylkline.com/blog/the-sequence-of-a-big-ask

I’m cheering you on always. If I can support you, your team, or your organization in any way, please reach out to me directly.

- Sheryl

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A business mentor of mine used to always say, “New level, new devil.”

And it’s true.

Whether you are a rising leader or a seasoned executive, there is always going to be a bigger room, a higher stakes conversation, or a moment that rocks your confidence ... even if you consider yourself to have unshakable confidence.

And if you’re thinking, “I’m not really that confident ... I’m working on it,” this is for you too.

Because high stakes moments do not just test what you know. They test how you manage your internal state while you’re communicating which in turn impacts (greatly) how you’re perceived.

Here are a couple strategies that will help you not choke when the conversation really matters.

Strategy 1: Stop Fighting Your Emotions ... They Will Always Win

The fastest way to spiral in a high stakes moment is to try to minimize your emotions.

If you try to shove them away, ignore them, or talk yourself out of them, they usually get louder and therefore more distracting.

Instead, acknowledge and validate the emotion ... without letting it drive the steering wheel.

Here’s one simple shift that is incredibly powerful:

Save “I am” statements for the positive.

A lot of people approach high stakes conversations saying things like:

• “I am nervous.”
• “I am scared.”
• “I am worried.”
• “I am concerned.”

Those “I am” statements are labels which, if said enough times, impact your belief system AND your actions. Let’s practice something different, what world-class performers and Olympians use to uplevel performance when under pressure.

Use “I notice” for the negative.

• “I notice I feel nervous going into the meeting with my CEO/manager.”
• “I notice I’m worried about presenting to the board.”
• “I notice my body is tense.”
• “I notice my mind is racing.”

This creates distance. It turns you into the observer instead of the judge.

You are now on the bank of the stream looking at the rushing water rather than jumping into the middle of it and then trying to figure out how to get across. You have NOT self labeled and have time decide what’s in your control that is most important to focus on.

Acknowledgement defuses an emotion while denial adds oxygen to the fire.

Strategy 2: Take Control of the Controllables

One of the biggest drivers of anxiety and worry is uncertainty ... and specifically, uncertainty about what you cannot control such as:

• How will this be received?
• What will they think?
• How will it land?
• Will I gain buy-in?

What you do control is what you do ... and how you choose to think.

So the second strategy is to take control of the controllables.

And there are two layers to this.

Layer 1: Control What You Can About the Other Person

If you are having a conversation with one or two people, one of the smartest things you can do is be mindful of their communication and negotiation style.

Ask yourself:

• Are they direct and curt?
• Are they analytical?
• Are they people driven and relationship driven?
• Do they want bullet points and bottom line first ... or do they want context?

This matters because a lot of leaders lose influence in high stakes moments by communicating in a style that is mismatched to the person in front of them.

Get more in-depth perspective at https://www.sherylkline.com/blog/how-to-stay-grounded-when-the-stakes-are-high

I’m cheering you on always. If I can help in any way, please do not hesitate to reach out.
- Sheryl

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If you consider the research, only about 7% of what we say is interpreted through our actual words.

Everything else is interpreted through our tone, our gestures, our body language, how we move, how we hold ourselves ... and even the cadence and tone of our voice.

So before I share three nonverbal cues that can quietly take away from your ability to influence, I want to start with something I know you’ve heard me say before:

Whatever you’re thinking comes out of your mouth.

In other words ... your mindset is the precursor to being able to influence successfully. Every time, it will impact how others will feel about what you have to say.

Get Your Head in the Game First

It’s very difficult for other people to be confident in us, trust us, and buy into what we’re saying when we are not confident in ourselves.

Let me give you a real example.

One of my clients, "Sue" (not her real name) is a rising female executive who is essentially creating a VP position for herself. She has been doing the role for a long time ... she just hasn’t had the title. And as you can imagine, that can create some wobble in salary and compensation conversations.

Do I negotiate like I’m new to being a VP ... or do I negotiate like the seasoned VP I already am?

The truth is: she has been doing the work for a year and believes she has the experience of a more seasoned VP. The problem: Her mindset did not match her reality. Initially, ‘Sue’ was uncertain about how her leadership viewed her experience. Would her leadership view her as a Sr. Director and therefore a new and incoming VP?

If she was uncertain, that feeling would show up and have an impact prior to her negotiation with her boss.

Instead, she shifted to: “I am a VP. I have been operating at this level. I am negotiating as a seasoned leader who will be able to have a more bold impact on the organization in this VP role..”

That clarity and confidence changes everything ... including how you show up, how you speak, and how others respond to you.

Once your mindset is ready to convey what you are asking for,, then you can fine tune the nonverbal cues that either strengthen or weaken your influence.

The Three Nonverbal Cues That Can Take Away From Your Influence

1) Closed Body Structure

A closed posture communicates uncertainty, discomfort, and a lack of safety ... even if that’s not what you intend.

Think about crossed arms. Hunched shoulders. A collapsed chest. Legs tightly crossed. A posture that says, “I’m protecting myself."

What we want instead is an open stance.

If you’re on Zoom, that means you want your shoulders open, your hands visible, and your body oriented toward the person you’re speaking to.

If you’re in person, it’s the same idea ... open stance, grounded feet, and a posture that communicates, “I belong here.”

2) Inconsistent or Avoiding Eye Contact

This one is tricky because many of us do it without realizing it. And yes ... I catch myself doing it too sometimes.

But here’s why it matters.

If you’re looking around, darting your eyes, getting distracted, or avoiding eye contact, the other person often experiences it as uncertainty. They can also experience it as a lack of honesty or commitment.

Now to be clear, we are not aiming for a stare. That’s not the goal.

What we want is steady, natural eye contact that communicates focus and presence. Nod to indicate engagement and engagement.

If you have a crucial conversation coming up, practice.

Practice with someone you trust. Practice on Zoom. Practice in a mirror if you need to.

Because you might have a habit you’ve never noticed ... and awareness is half the work.

3) Micro Signs of Self Soothing

This is t

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Have you ever walked into a meeting prepared, thoughtful, ready to contribute ... and then left feeling dismissed?

It is incredibly frustrating.

And, I want you to hear this clearly:

Your voice matters. It matters more now than ever.
And you deserve to be heard, valued, and respected in the rooms you are in.

The good news is this does not have to keep happening. There is a proven process to reduce those moments and increase your influence without needing to become louder, sharper, or someone you are not.

Here are two strategies you can start using immediately.

1) Get Clear on Your Message ... and the Meaning Behind It

Before we talk tactics, let's talk about mindset. Not in a vague motivational way ... in a practical, performance based way.

I want to share a simple parable that makes this point.

There are three people laying bricks.

Someone walks up to the first and asks, “What are you doing?”
She says, “I’m laying bricks.”

They ask the second person the same question.
She says, “I’m building a place of worship.”

Then they ask the third.
She says, “I’m building direct communication with God.”

This is not a religious statement. It’s a meaning statement.

Same work. Same bricks. Same room.

Different perceived purpose. Different power.

And when you are going into a room where you might be dismissed ... it is critical to decide ahead of time what your message means.

Are you walking in thinking, “This is just one more update”?

Or are you walking in knowing, “This point protects the team, improves the outcome, reduces risk, saves time, increases performance”?

Because when you assign real meaning to your message, you show up differently.

You speak with more certainty.
You take up appropriate space.
You stay grounded when tension shows up.

So before your next meeting, get clear on three things:

What exactly do I need to say?
Why does it matter to the team, the leader, or the business?
What will be lost if I do not express it?

When you do this, you’re not just “sharing an idea.” You’re advancing something that matters.

2) Use a Simple Interruption Script That Protects the Relationship and Reclaims the Floor

Now let’s talk about what happens when you get interrupted or spoken over.

This is common, especially for women. And research also shows it can happen even more for women who are further marginalized within our gender.

Let's change that.

It makes sense that you would feel frustrated or angry when interrupted. That reaction is human.

The problem is ... when emotions go up, performance goes down in us AND in the other person.

So here’s a strategy that helps you interrupt the interruption ... while staying composed.

It comes from Chris Voss, and it’s called an "Accusations Audit™."

The concept is simple: you say out loud what you think the other person might be thinking about you in that moment. When you name it, it often releases its power.

Here’s what it can sound like:

“You might think I’m being rude for interrupting, but would it be unreasonable if I finish what I was saying?”

Let’s break down why this works:

You acknowledge the social tension they might be feeling.
You show respect without shrinking.
You redirect the conversation back to you in a calm, confident way.
You make it easier for them to adjust without feeling attacked.

And yes ... many times people do not even realize they are doing it. That does not make it acceptable, but it does give you a way to respond strategically instead of emotionally.

The Real Goal ... Influence With Integrity

If being dismissed keeps happening, it's helpful to