Turning a Difficult Boss into an Opportunity for Influence

Have you ever felt stuck in a work relationship with a boss who just won’t acknowledge your contributions? Maybe they micromanage your every move or completely overlook you, making you feel like your voice doesn’t matter. It’s frustrating, demotivating, and makes career growth feel impossible.

But here’s the truth: Your boss is NOT the sole gatekeeper to your success.

In this episode of The Influence Advantage, we dive into the mindset and strategies that will help you shift from feeling powerless to building an ecosystem of influence that extends beyond one difficult relationship. I share real client stories of women who went from being dismissed and sidelined to securing promotions and high-profile projects—without relying on their boss's approval.

You’ll learn: ✔️ Why waiting for your boss to recognize your value is a dangerous trap
✔️ How to build a network of advocates who will champion your career
✔️ A simple shift in communication that turns difficult relationships into career leverage
✔️ The mindset mistake that’s keeping you stuck—and how to flip it

Your leadership influence is bigger than one person’s opinion. It’s time to take control.

👉 Listen now and start building your influence beyond your boss.

🔗 Plus, don’t forget to grab the Influence Productivity Toolkit, the ultimate starting point to measure where you are in terms of influence and where to begin shifting the balance in your career. [Get Toolkit HERE]

Join the LeadHERship Accelerator: Your proven roadmap to recognition, promotions, and a seat at the table—where the real impact is made. Apply here

Let’s connect! DM me on LinkedIn or Instagram and tell me your biggest takeaway from this episode.

Have you ever walked into a meeting, made a solid point, and watched it get completely ignored—only for someone else to say the same thing five minutes later and suddenly it’s the best idea in the room?

If you’ve ever felt unheard or undervalued in leadership, this episode is a must-listen.

The truth is, leadership isn’t just about competence or hard work—it’s about influence. And if you don’t take control of how you’re perceived in meetings, decision-making, and high-stakes conversations, someone else will define it for you.

In this episode, I introduce The Boardroom Whisper Technique, a powerful strategy to position yourself as the authority in the room—without having to push, over-explain, or work harder.

Your Next Step: Start Measuring Your Influence

If you’re thinking, Okay, I know I need this, but where do I even start?—I’ve got you.

📊 The Influence Productivity Toolkit is your first step. It helps you track where your time, energy, and focus are going—and whether they’re actually building your leadership impact. If you’ve been buried in tasks instead of positioning yourself as a key decision-maker, you’ll see it right there in black and white.

🎧 Ready to take this further? That’s where the LeadHERship Accelerator comes in—helping you master the strategies that make influential leaders stand out.

🚀 Get the Influence Productivity Toolkit here → [Get it HERE]
💡 Apply for the LeadHERship Accelerator here → [Apply HERE]

Discover the Boardroom Whisper Technique: Navigate high-stakes conversations, shape decisions, and lead with confidence. (https://leadhershipedgeacademy.com/boardroom)

🎙 Listen now and take back control of your leadership presence!

In this episode of The Influence Advantage, I’m unpacking a leadership trap that holds so many women back—believing that being “nice” is the key to team success. Spoiler alert: it’s not.

If you’ve ever hesitated to give critical feedback, taken on extra work to avoid conflict, or prioritized being liked over being respected, this episode is for you. I share real-life leadership stories, including my own struggles with the "nice girl" narrative, and reveal the mindset shifts that helped me (and my clients) lead with confidence and clarity.

You’ll discover:

• Why being nice can actually damage team performance
• The difference between kindness and people-pleasing—and why it matters
• A simple 4-step process to hold your team accountable without feeling like the “bad guy”
• How to create a culture of trust, respect, and results without micromanaging

Why This Episode Matters:
The need to be liked keeps too many women leaders stuck—overworked, under-credited, and frustrated. But leadership isn’t about being liked; it’s about making an impact. This episode will show you how to lead with kindness, set clear boundaries, and build a team that doesn’t just function… but thrives.

Ready to take your leadership to the next level?
Apply for the LeadHERship Accelerator to master the art of influence, build a proactive team, and step into the leader you’re meant to be. [Apply here ➔]

Here's How We Can Help You:

Want to increase your influence and become the go-to leader? Apply here to build your roadmap to recognition, promotions, and a seat at the table—where the real impact is made.

Upgrade your potential with the Influence Productivity Toolkit. Unlock the ultimate resource to focus on high-impact tasks, track your influence, and optimize your time effortlessly. Get it here

Discover the Boardroom Whisper Technique: Navigate high-stakes conversations, shape decisions, and lead with confidence. (https://leadhershipedgeacademy.com/boardroom)

Join the LeadHERship Accelerator: Your proven roadmap to recognition, promotions, and a seat at the table—where the real impact is made. Apply here

In this episode of The Influence Advantage, I dive deep into the hidden narratives and outdated beliefs that silently hold women leaders back. Have you ever felt like you're either too much or not enough—too assertive, too soft, too direct, too emotional? This is the leadership double bind, a trap that keeps brilliant, capable women stuck, undervalued, and questioning their worth.

But here’s the truth: it’s not you—it’s the unspoken rules of leadership that were never designed with women in mind.

I’m sharing 7 powerful mindset shifts that will help you break free from these invisible barriers. You’ll learn how to:

• Stop over-explaining and start leading with authority
• Balance empathy with assertiveness without compromising your values
• Reframe failure as fuel for growth, not a reflection of your capability

These shifts aren’t just fluff—they’re the foundation for every strategy I teach inside the LeadHERship Accelerator, where women leaders like you finally claim the recognition, influence, and impact they deserve.

Why This Episode Matters:
Because working harder isn’t the answer. It’s time to work smarter—by changing the way you think, lead, and influence. If you’re tired of feeling stuck in the same patterns, this episode is the wake-up call you’ve been waiting for.

Here's How We Can Help You:

Want to increase your influence and become the go-to leader? Apply here to build your roadmap to recognition, promotions, and a seat at the table—where the real impact is made.

 Upgrade your potential with the Influence Productivity Toolkit. Unlock the ultimate resource to focus on high-impact tasks, track your influence, and optimize your time effortlessly. Get it here

Discover the Boardroom Whisper Technique: Navigate high-stakes conversations, shape decisions, and lead with confidence. (https://leadhershipedgeacademy.com/boardroom)

Join the LeadHERship Accelerator: Your proven roadmap to recognition, promotions, and a seat at the table—where the real impact is made. Apply here

In this episode of The Influence Advantage, I’m sharing the pivotal moment that transformed my leadership journey—from feeling overlooked despite working long hours to becoming a leader whose voice and impact couldn’t be ignored.

I’ll take you behind the scenes of my early career struggles, where I believed hard work alone would get me noticed. Spoiler: it didn’t. What changed everything was shifting from doing all the tasks to focusing on influence—strategic delegation, team empowerment, and communicating with impact.

Why is this important for you?
Because if you’ve ever felt like you’re working harder than everyone else but still not getting the recognition, promotions, or authority you deserve, this episode will show you why—and how to change that. I’ll give you practical steps to start shifting from task-driven to influence-driven leadership, so you can finally get the results you’ve been working so hard for.

By the end of this episode, you’ll not only recognize the patterns that might be holding you back, but you’ll also have clear strategies to elevate your leadership.

Here's How We Can Help You:

Want to increase your influence and become the go-to leader? Apply here to build your roadmap to recognition, promotions, and a seat at the table—where the real impact is made.

Upgrade your potential with the Influence Productivity Toolkit. Unlock the ultimate resource to focus on high-impact tasks, track your influence, and optimize your time effortlessly. Get it here

Discover the Boardroom Whisper Technique: Navigate high-stakes conversations, shape decisions, and lead with confidence. (https://leadhershipedgeacademy.com/boardroom)

Join the LeadHERship Accelerator: Your proven roadmap to recognition, promotions, and a seat at the table—where the real impact is made. Apply here

In this episode, we dive into why traditional leadership habits—like overworking and over-delivering—might actually be holding you back from the recognition and results you deserve. You’ll discover how to shift your focus from simply doing more to strategically influencing the outcomes that matter most.

I’ll walk you through key insights on how to identify the leadership activities that drive real impact, so you can stop wasting energy on tasks that don’t move the needle. This isn’t about working harder; it’s about working smarter with influence at the core of your strategy.

Key Takeaways:

• Why hard work alone won’t get you noticed (and what will)
• The critical leadership metric you’re probably overlooking
• How to shift from “busy leader” to “impactful leader” without burning out

If you’re ready to fast-track your leadership results while reclaiming your time, this episode is your starting point.

DM me on LinkedIn @kimcraaijmakers or tag me on Instagram @kimraaijmakers with your questions!

If you’re ready to elevate your leadership and take charge of your career, apply for your LeadHERship Strategy Call now to build your leadership success roadmap.

Here's How We Can Help You:

Want to increase your influence and become the go-to leader? Apply here to build your roadmap to recognition, promotions, and a seat at the table—where the real impact is made.

Upgrade your potential with the Influence Productivity Toolkit. Unlock the ultimate resource to focus on high-impact tasks, track your influence, and optimize your time effortlessly. Get it here

Discover the Boardroom Whisper Technique: Navigate high-stakes conversations, shape decisions, and lead with confidence. (https://leadhershipedgeacademy.com/boardroom)

Join the LeadHERship Accelerator: Your proven roadmap to recognition, promotions, and a seat at the table—where the real impact is made. Apply here

Welcome to the Influence Advantage Podcast! This is the behind-the-scenes guide to mastering leadership influence and achieving the recognition, promotions, and outcomes you deserve. The Influence Advantage is focused on the strategies and behind-the-scenes insights to help women leaders reclaim their time, maximize their impact, and lead with confidence.

In this season, we’re walking you through how to align your time with high-impact leadership tasks, delegate effectively, and track your progress toward measurable results. You’ll discover actionable strategies, mindset shifts, and the tools you need to create unstoppable momentum in your leadership journey.

Key takeaways:

• The importance of identifying and focusing on your most influential tasks.
• Why aligning your time with leadership goals creates the impact you want.
• How to track your progress, refine your focus, and elevate your leadership game.

DM me on LinkedIn @kimcraaijmakers or tag me on Instagram @kimraaijmakers with your questions!

If you’re ready to elevate your leadership and take charge of your career, apply for your LeadHERship Strategy Call now to build your leadership success roadmap.

Here's How We Can Help You:

Want to increase your influence and become the go-to leader? Apply here to build your roadmap to recognition, promotions, and a seat at the table—where the real impact is made.

Upgrade your potential with the Influence Productivity Toolkit. Unlock the ultimate resource to focus on high-impact tasks, track your influence, and optimize your time effortlessly. Get it here

Discover the Boardroom Whisper Technique: Navigate high-stakes conversations, shape decisions, and lead with confidence. (https://leadhershipedgeacademy.com/boardroom)

Join the LeadHERship Accelerator: Your proven roadmap to recognition, promotions, and a seat at the table—where the real impact is made. Apply here