I am not a self-made leader.
And I am confident you are not either.
Yet somewhere along the way, many of us started to believe that leadership was something we built on our own.
Our experience.
Our grit.
Our decisions.
And while those things matter, they are not the full story.
Because if you pause long enough, you will start to see it.
You were shaped.
Not only by what you learned.
Yet by who you learned it from.
The Women Who Quietly Built Us
Women’s History Month often highlights names we recognize.
Women who made headlines.
Women who broke barriers.
Women who changed the world on a global scale.
And those stories matter.
Yet some of the most influential women in our lives will never be written about in history books.
They are the ones who:
Modeled strength when things felt uncertain
Spoke truth when it was uncomfortable
Believed in us before we believed in ourselves
Showed us what leadership looked like in real life
They did not always have titles.
Yet they had impact.
And that impact lives on in how we lead today.
Leadership Is Passed Down
Leadership is not only taught in classrooms or developed through experience.
It is absorbed.
It is observed.
It is passed down through moments we did not always realize were shaping us.
A conversation that shifted your confidence.
A decision you watched someone else make.
A standard that was modeled without ever being explained.
Many of the ways you lead today were influenced by women who came before you.
Their courage becomes your confidence.
Their voice becomes your clarity.
Their resilience becomes your strength.
You are not starting from scratch.
You are building on a foundation.
The Right-Hand Leader Reality
For Right-Hand Leaders, this truth runs even deeper.
Many COOs, Integrators, Chiefs of Staff, etc carry forward what they have seen modeled.
You become:
The steady voice someone else once was for you
The translator you once needed
The stabilizer you once relied on
You hold space for others in the same way someone once held space for you.
That is not accidental.
That is legacy in motion.
HOW TO: Honor the Women Who Shaped Your Leadership
If you want this reflection to become meaningful action, here are five ways to engage with it intentionally:
- Name the Women Who Shaped You
Write down 3 to 5 women who influenced your leadership journey. Be specific. - Define What They Gave You
What did each woman model or teach you? Confidence, courage, directness, empathy, structure? - Say It Out Loud
Reach out to at least one of them. Tell her exactly how she impacted you. Specificity matters. - Model It Forward
Ask yourself: who am I becoming for someone else right now? Leadership is not only received. It is carried forward. - Share the Story
Post about one woman who shaped you. Your story may be the encouragement someone else needs.
You Are Someone’s History
Here is the part we do not talk about enough.
You are not only shaped by history.
You are becoming part of it.
Right now, there is someone watching how you lead.
Learning from how you communicate.
Growing from how you show up.
Building confidence because of how you support them.
One day, they may tell a story about you.
The question is:
What will that story be?
Call to Action
This week, take one intentional step.
Reach out to a woman who shaped your leadership and tell her why she matters.
Then pause and reflect on how you are showing up for the people who are watching you now.
Leadership is not created in isolation.
It is carried forward.
If you are a Right-Hand Leader navigating the responsibility of influence, execution, and impact, you do not have to do it alone.
Join us at HERverse.com and surround yourself with women who are committed to growing, leading, and rising together.
Let’s change the world, together.