146: How to Be Heard When You’re Already in the Room
What happens when you’re already in the room where decisions are being made, but your voice still isn’t carrying the weight your experience warrants? In this episode, I’m breaking down an all-too-common experience for Asian American women in leadership: being in the room, delivering results, managing teams, and carrying significant responsibility, while still feeling like their perspective isn’t fully recognized. I share the story of a director managing a team of 30 who was frustrated when her insights were overlooked, even when decisions directly affected her work. The issue wasn’t getting into the room; her problem was she wasn’t being experienced as the strategic leader she already was. In this episode, I break down how early expectations around reliability, hierarchy, respect, and keeping the peace common in Asian families can continue showing up in leadership, and how those patterns can quietly shape what happens before, during, and after you speak. If you’ve been told to “be more strategic” or “show more executive presence,” I’ll help you look beneath that feedback and understand what may actually be happening. You don’t need to work harder to prove you deserve the seat. You’ve already earned it. The work is learning how to lead from your own authority once you’re there. If you’re ready to explore what that looks like, join my Strategic Authority Sprint. THE TOP LEARNINGS IN THIS EPISODE: The Leadership Trap: Hard Work Does Not Always Equal Trust from Leadership [02:28] High Performers Are Often Seen as Reliable Executors, Not Strategic Leaders [03:28] Authority and Ownership in Leadership Roles: The Execution vs. Strategy Divide [04:25] How Early Definitions of Success Influence Workplace Dynamics [05:05] Outsourcing Authority Happens in Small, Incremental Moments [07:48] Vague Feedback Is a Sign You Haven’t Fully Stepped Into Your Leadership [08:23] If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag @nicoletsong so we can give you a shout-out and thank you for your support! Strategic Authority Sprint: If you’re an Asian-American leader who wants a seat at the table where strategy, influence, and leadership decisions happen for details on my weeklong Strategic Authority Sprint August 10-13. Get invited into the conversations where decisions are made. https://go.nicoletsong.com/optin1773963245894 Authority Shift: You're not being overlooked because you're not capable. You’re being overlooked because of how your leadership is being interpreted in real time. Grab the private audio feed for Asian-American corporate leaders where I break down the exact moments your authority drops...and why it has nothing to do with confidence or communication. https://go.nicoletsong.com/shift Haven’t left a review yet? We’d love for you to at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-of-self-worth/id1678655504 For full show notes, transcript, and links, visit nicoletsong.com/podcast . Have a question or topic you’d like Nicole to touch on in a future episode? Email podcast@nicoletsong.com to share any thoughts or feedback. Catch up with Nicole: Website: nicoletsong.com Subscribe to her newsletter Instagram: nicoletsong Tiktok: @nicoletsong_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-tsong/




