Show Your Worth
8 Intentional Strategies for Women to Emerge as Leaders at Work
Book Edition Details
Summary
In the hustle and bustle of modern careers, "Show Your Worth" emerges as a guiding star for women—especially those who feel invisible in their workplaces. Shelmina Babai Abji crafts a compelling narrative, intertwining her personal journey with practical strategies designed to shatter the glass ceiling. This isn't just a book; it's a manifesto for turning systemic challenges into stepping stones. Abji unveils eight transformative strategies that empower you to redefine success on your own terms, cultivate meaningful connections, and harness your authenticity as a superpower. Filled with insightful anecdotes and actionable advice, this book is a clarion call for women of color to step into their power and make their mark, rewriting the rules of leadership from the inside out.
Introduction
Every woman has moments when she questions whether she truly belongs in the room where important decisions are made. You've worked hard, delivered results, and proven your capabilities time and again, yet that nagging voice whispers doubts about your worthiness for leadership roles. The statistics are sobering: less than 10 percent of leaders at the highest levels are women, and for women of color, the numbers are even smaller. This isn't about a glass ceiling at the top—it's about a broken rung far down the ladder that prevents women from taking that crucial first step into management. The path to leadership requires more than just working hard and hoping to be noticed. It demands intentional strategies that help you recognize your own value, showcase your unique contributions, and position yourself as the leader you're meant to become. Your journey to leadership isn't just about personal success—it's about creating the change that will repair those broken rungs and pave the way for the women who will follow in your footsteps.
Define Your Success and Master Your Foundations
Success isn't a one-size-fits-all destination, yet too many women chase definitions of achievement that others have imposed upon them. True leadership begins with the radical act of defining success on your own terms, understanding deeply why these goals matter to you, and building the foundational habits that will sustain your journey. When Shelmina was five years into her career, sitting in a women's roundtable with IBM's Midwest general manager Susan Whitney, she felt overwhelmed by imposter syndrome. Susan's simple question, "Where do you want to be in five years?" sparked a profound realization. Shelmina had been so focused on doing her current job well that she'd never considered her potential for something bigger. This conversation became the catalyst that transformed her from someone content with small successes into a woman who would eventually become one of the highest-ranking women of color at IBM. The transformation didn't happen overnight. Susan's belief in Shelmina's potential ignited a new way of thinking about her career. Instead of simply reacting to opportunities, she began intentionally creating a vision that included both professional aspirations, like becoming a sales leader, and personal goals, like buying a house for her future daughter. This dual focus ensured that success would feel meaningful both externally and internally. To define your intentional success, start by conducting deep introspection about your values, strengths, and what truly energizes you. Create both short-term and long-term definitions that stretch you beyond your comfort zone while remaining aligned with what matters most to you. Your long-term vision should make you want to jump up and tell everyone about it when achieved, while your short-term goals should serve as stepping stones toward that bigger picture. Remember that your definitions of success should evolve as you grow and change. What matters is that they remain deeply personal, meaningful, and ambitious enough to unlock the potential you know exists within you. When you're clear about where you're going and why it matters, every decision becomes easier and every challenge becomes a stepping stone rather than a roadblock.
Create Maximum Value Through Intentional Actions
The foundation of career advancement lies in consistently creating value that exceeds expectations, but many talented women inadvertently limit their impact by falling into task traps rather than focusing strategically on their highest-leverage activities. Early in her sales career, Shelmina found herself working 60-hour weeks, frantically moving from task to task across 50 different deals, yet making no meaningful progress on any of them. Despite her energy and determination, she was caught in a cycle of busyness that wasn't translating into results. Her sales leader Keith Elzia delivered a game-changing insight: "Working more hours isn't necessarily the answer; it's about priorities. You must learn to qualify and prioritize your deals. Pick the deals that are worthy of your attention." This revelation transformed Shelmina's approach entirely. Instead of chasing every opportunity, she qualified each deal by determining both the possibility and probability of winning it. She narrowed her focus to 15 must-win deals that would allow her to exceed her sales targets by 20 percent. The key question became "Is this worthy of my attention?" rather than "How can I fit this into my schedule?" The results were immediate and dramatic. By structuring her days around her highest priorities and scheduling 80 percent of her time for must-win activities, she moved from being busy to being productive. She started making meaningful progress every day, and within three months, she was winning impressive deals and building the house she'd dreamed of before her daughter was born. To implement intentional attention in your own career, begin each day by identifying your highest-priority activities—those that create the most value toward your success. Schedule these activities first, protecting this time fiercely. Learn to say no gracefully but firmly to requests that don't align with your priorities. Create systems for handling routine tasks like email in batches rather than throughout the day. Most importantly, regularly audit how you spend your attention and energy. Ask yourself whether each activity moves you closer to your definition of success, and be willing to eliminate or delegate activities that don't meet this standard. Your attention is your most valuable and limited resource—invest it intentionally.
Build Strategic Relationships and Leadership Brand
Leadership isn't a solo journey, and your ability to build meaningful relationships while establishing a strong personal brand will determine how quickly you advance and how effectively you lead once you arrive. Throughout her career, Shelmina learned that relationships were the invisible foundation of every opportunity. Her connection with Susan Whitney, which began with a single conversation, evolved over years through quarterly updates and brief annual meetings into a sponsorship that opened doors to executive roles. Similarly, her relationship with Rodney Adkins developed through seven years of high-stakes client interactions before he became the sponsor who advocated for her most significant promotions. These relationships weren't built through networking events or casual encounters, but through consistent value creation and authentic connection over time. Shelmina made sure her achievements were visible to key stakeholders, she supported others' success generously, and she maintained regular but respectful contact with mentors and sponsors who could influence her career trajectory. Simultaneously, she was intentionally building her leadership brand—how people knew her when she wasn't in the room. When she transitioned from individual contributor to sales leader, she had to consciously change her behavior from taking over client meetings to empowering her team members to shine. She wrote "Don't take over" on her palm as a reminder until the new behavior became natural. Start building your strategic relationships by identifying the four key types you need: your boss, your peers, your mentors, and your sponsors. With your boss, focus on understanding their priorities and making their success easier. With peers, be generous with support and recognition. Seek mentors who can provide expertise for specific challenges, and gradually build relationships with senior leaders who could become sponsors by demonstrating your value on high-stakes projects. Your leadership brand should reflect both your business expertise and your personal attributes. Identify the leadership qualities you want to be known for, then deliberately practice these behaviors until they become natural. Remember that your brand is formed through every interaction, email, and decision—be intentional about the impression you leave behind.
Position Yourself for Promotion and Pay It Forward
The final step in emerging as a leader involves actively positioning yourself for advancement while committing to lifting other women as you rise. When Shelmina decided she was ready for her first promotion to sales leadership, she didn't wait to be discovered. After delivering spectacular results that exceeded all expectations, she initiated a strategic conversation with her boss, asking four crucial questions: What did she need to demonstrate to be considered? Were there skill gaps to fill? What were the decision-making criteria and process? This direct approach, combined with her track record, led to her promotion within eight months. Her success didn't stop with her own advancement. She understood that her promotion was not just personal—it was part of creating change for all women who would come after her. As one of the few women of color in senior leadership, she carried the responsibility of proving that women could excel in these roles while actively mentoring and sponsoring other women to follow in her path. Years later, when her mother's illness prompted her to leave IBM, Shelmina realized that her greatest fulfillment came not from her own achievements but from helping others succeed. She became a keynote speaker and mentor, sharing the strategies that had worked for her with thousands of women globally. Her mother's final weeks taught her that what matters in the end isn't the success you achieve, but the success you help others achieve. To position yourself for promotion, first ensure you're consistently exceeding expectations and building a leadership brand. Then initiate direct conversations with decision-makers about your aspirations and ask specifically what you need to demonstrate. Don't wait for others to notice your potential—advocate for yourself with confidence and specific examples of your value creation. Remember that your promotion isn't just about you. As you advance, commit to reaching back and giving other women the opportunities that helped you succeed. Use your growing influence to advocate for inclusive policies, sponsor high-potential women, and model the leadership you wish you had experienced. Your success becomes exponentially more meaningful when it opens doors for others.
Summary
The journey from questioning whether you belong in the room to confidently leading the conversation isn't about waiting for others to recognize your potential—it's about intentionally cultivating and showcasing the leader you already are. As Shelmina learned through her remarkable journey from humble beginnings in Tanzania to IBM executive, "You can take the worst situation of your life and turn it into a narrative of learning." The eight intentional strategies aren't just career tactics; they're a blueprint for transformation that begins with believing in your own worth and extends to creating opportunities for countless other women. Your emergence as a leader starts today, with the simple but powerful decision to define success on your own terms and take deliberate action toward that vision. The world needs women leaders who bring unique perspectives, compassionate viewpoints, and ingenious ideas—and that includes you. Start now by identifying one strategy that resonates most strongly with your current situation, commit to implementing it consistently for the next 30 days, and watch as your intentional actions begin creating the career transformation you've been seeking.
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By Shelmina Babai Abji
