Why Being Relied On Isn’t the Same as Being Influential
May 17, 2026
One of the least discussed transitions in corporate careers is the shift from usefulness to influence --probably because a good proportion of us don't fully make it.
For years, highly capable women have been rewarded for being reliable, thoughtful, prepared, indispensable. It's seen as great how we can carry complexity and solve difficult problems.
And those behaviors genuinely created success, until they didn’t translate the same way anymore.
Eventually many of us arrived at the same uncomfortable realization – while we’re still delivering at a high level, continuing forward on an upward trajectory suddenly feels harder, and we’re not sure why. Or we’re making up a story to explain it that's both disempowering and likely incorrect.
While early career systems often reward execution, responsiveness, technical excellence and reliability, senior leadership systems increasingly reward judgment, trust, influence, sponsorship, and organizational effect.
That’s why it might feel confusing at the Maverick Inflection Point – we’re still optimizing for the rules that created earlier success, but don't match what required for the next leg of the journey.
So when trajectory slows, we often respond by working harder, carrying more, preparing more, and -- dare I say -- overexplaining more.
Meanwhile the organization is increasingly evaluating:
- How do people experience this leader?
- Do they create momentum?
- Do they simplify complexity?
- Can they shape direction?
- Do they build strategic trust?
- Can they operate through ambiguity?
This transition can be emotionally intense because many women have unconsciously learned: “I earn safety and advancement by becoming exceptionally useful.”
But eventually sustainable leadership requires self-authorization under ambiguity.
That looks like:
- Participating before complete certainty
- Shaping outcomes without endless proving
- Tolerating disagreement
- Influencing direction
- Creating leverage instead of carrying everything personally
This is about learning how organizations actually work -- not about becoming political or pretending confidence -- and participating more intentionally inside them.
That transition is mission critical to moving above and beyond the Maverick Inflection Point.