The Women We Remember

Think about the women who have shaped your professional life. Not necessarily the ones with the biggest titles or the most impressive resumes, but the ones whose influence has stayed with you long after you stopped working together.

Chances are, you remember how they made you feel about yourself and your work. The confidence they placed in you before you had fully earned it. The honest feedback that helped you grow. The opportunities they gave you when you weren't entirely sure you were ready. Or perhaps the simple act of making sure your contributions were recognized.

I have been fortunate to work alongside some remarkable women throughout my career. But one stands out.

The CEO of the last company where I worked had built her business from the ground up more than 30 years earlier. What she created was more than a successful company. It was an organization where her values were evident in how people worked together, how decisions were made, and how employees were treated.

She had high standards and an unwavering commitment to excellence, but she also led with kindness. She listened. She trusted the people she hired to do their jobs. She gave me the autonomy to lead, supported my decisions, and never confused oversight with micromanagement.

Working for her was a reminder of what leadership can look like when trust and accountability coexist.

Her example stayed with me. In fact, she was one of the inspirations behind my decision to leave corporate HR and establish Next Step Advisory.

Looking back, what I remember most isn't what she accomplished, although that was considerable. It's the kind of leader she chose to be and the environment she created for everyone around her.

And I think there's an important lesson in that.

Leadership Is About More Than What You Accomplish

We often measure leadership through visible achievements: business growth, financial performance, promotions, organizational size, or the scope of someone's responsibilities.

Those things matter. But after more than 35 years in HR, I've come to believe that another measure deserves just as much attention.

What became possible for the people who worked with you because of your leadership?

The leaders who leave a lasting impression tend to have something in common. They recognize potential in others and create opportunities for that potential to develop.

They don't simply delegate work. They give people room to own it.

They don't avoid difficult conversations. They approach them with honesty and respect.

They don't need to be the smartest person in the room. They're comfortable surrounding themselves with talented people and giving them the recognition they deserve.

And perhaps most importantly, they understand that developing others doesn't diminish their own success. It strengthens it.

These behaviors rarely make headlines. They happen in everyday interactions, often without much fanfare. A thoughtful conversation after a difficult meeting. An introduction that opens a door. A stretch assignment that builds confidence. A leader who stands behind someone when things don't go exactly as planned.

Over time, those moments shape careers.

The Particular Influence of Women in Leadership

I don't believe these qualities belong exclusively to women. Good leadership is good leadership, regardless of gender.

But I do think there's something worth recognizing about the influence women have had on one another in the workplace.

For many women, the path to leadership has involved navigating expectations that aren't always visible or evenly distributed. Women have often been expected to take on the work of supporting colleagues, mentoring others, managing relationships, and maintaining team cohesion, sometimes without that work being formally recognized or rewarded.

And yet, some of the most influential women I've known have taken those experiences and used them to become more intentional leaders.

They understand the importance of being seen, heard, and taken seriously. They know what it means when someone advocates for you in a room you're not in. And they recognize the difference it can make when a leader sees your capabilities before you fully see them yourself.

When women in leadership positions use their influence to create opportunities for others, the impact can extend well beyond any one person's career.

They help shape what leadership looks like for the next generation.

The Small Things That Make a Lasting Difference

One of the things I've learned from working with business owners and leaders is that leadership isn't defined only by the big decisions.

It's reflected in the habits we practice every day.

Give credit generously and specifically. When someone does great work, make sure the right people know about it. Recognition is more meaningful when it's genuine, specific, and connected to an individual's contribution.

Create opportunities before someone feels completely ready. Growth rarely happens when we're entirely comfortable. Sometimes the most valuable thing a leader can do is recognize someone's potential and give them the opportunity to prove it to themselves.

Be willing to have the difficult conversation. Kindness and candor aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, some of the most caring leaders I've known have also been the most direct. They respect people enough to tell them what they need to hear, not simply what they want to hear.

Trust people to do the work you've hired them to do. Set clear expectations, provide the resources and support they need, and give them room to succeed. Accountability doesn't require constant oversight.

Remember that people are paying attention. How you respond when something goes wrong, how you treat someone who disagrees with you, and how you handle your own mistakes all communicate more about your leadership than any statement of company values.

None of these practices requires a formal leadership development program or a large organizational budget. They require intention, consistency, and a willingness to think beyond your own accomplishments.

The Culture You Create Is the Legacy You Leave

This is especially relevant to the small and growing businesses I work with today.

In a smaller organization, the influence of an owner or leader is particularly visible. Employees see how decisions are made, how challenges are handled, and whether the values the business talks about are reflected in everyday behavior.

Culture isn't something that develops separately from leadership. It grows out of the decisions leaders make and the behaviors they reinforce.

A business owner who invests in developing managers, trusts employees with meaningful responsibility, and addresses problems with fairness and respect is doing more than creating a positive work environment.

That leader is building an organization that can grow beyond their own individual contributions.

People become more capable. Managers develop confidence and judgment. Employees understand what's expected of them and feel comfortable taking ownership of their work.

And the business becomes stronger because of it.

That's what I saw in the CEO who influenced my own career. She built a successful company, certainly. But she also built something less tangible and, in many ways, more enduring: an environment where people could do meaningful work, develop professionally, and take pride in what they were part of.

Her influence ultimately extended beyond the company she founded. It helped give me the confidence to build something of my own.

I suspect many of us have a woman like that in our professional history.

Someone who believed in us, challenged us, advocated for us, or simply showed us through her example what thoughtful leadership could look like.

We may not remember every piece of advice she gave us or every decision she made.

But we remember the difference she made.

And perhaps the best way to honor that influence is to consider the difference we're making for someone else.

Who made room for you along the way?

And whose future might look different because you made room for them?

More about Debbie

Debbie Rabishaw is the Founder and Principal of Next Step Advisory, where she helps growing businesses navigate the messy, human side of work. With more than 30 years in Human Resources leadership, Debbie partners with founders and leadership teams to build people practices that actually work in the real world, not just on paper. Her work spans HR strategy, compliance, talent management, and organizational growth for small and mid sized companies across the U.S.

Debbie did not originally set out to build a career in HR. She was drawn there by a curiosity about how organizations really function and how people shape the success of a business. That curiosity turned into a career spent behind the curtain of organizations across industries, helping leaders solve complex people challenges and build stronger teams. Eventually she took the leap to start her own firm so she could provide practical, experienced HR guidance to companies that need it but do not always have it in house.

Today, Debbie works as a trusted advisor to executives, founders, and leadership teams, often at pivotal moments in their growth. She is known for bringing a practical, thoughtful perspective to people decisions and for helping organizations turn uncertainty into clarity.

Outside of client work, Debbie enjoys connecting with other professionals who believe strong relationships, shared knowledge, and a little courage can open unexpected doors. With her kids now grown, she also volunteers her time with several organizations and was recently married for the second time in September 2026 (second time's the charm!). She believes the best opportunities, in work and in life, often start with a simple conversation!