In dozens, if not hundreds, of conversations I've had over the years with directors, VPs, and department heads in engineering, finance, construction, and tech, many of them wrestle with the same quiet, corrosive experience: being technically excellent and still somehow invisible in the leadership suite where they're the only woman. Here’s a framework to help you deal with that issue.

Ask a bright, ambitious manager how they’d know they have executive presence — and you might hear something that sounds more like a hostage situation than leadership.