In partnership with

• 9 to 5 Dilemma: You’re Just Not… Strategic Enough.

• Upcoming Events.

• When Your Best Idea Gets Stolen.

• Testers Needed : gumption. Wins & Impact GPT

• Networking Without the Cringe.

• Dollyism.

As a former HR person (don’t hold that against me, I get it, there’s bad HR out there and the mere mention of HR may make you shudder! I’m cool HR.), saying someone wasn’t strategic was the kiss of death.

This kind of feedback is common, and it’s frustrating as hell.

It’s also often a placeholder for something else. A vague stand-in for expectations the interviewer hasn’t articulated. Or for discomfort they can’t quite name.

It might mean:

• You focused too much on execution and not enough on decision-making

• You didn’t zoom out far enough to talk about business impact

• You used “we” instead of “I” and the interviewer couldn’t tell what your role actually was

• You came off as too humble, too operational, too… different from what they expected

And for people who don’t fit a stereotypical mold of leadership, especially women, BIPOC folks, introverts, or people who lead with collaboration, "not strategic" can feel like a catch-all critique that’s hard to fight but easy to weaponize.

The Bias Behind “Strategic”

"Strategic" is one of the most biased pieces of feedback I see.

It rarely comes with examples. It’s almost never measurable. And it often reflects an unconscious comparison to an internalized default, usually someone louder, more direct, more linear in how they frame their work.

And that’s the difference. Strategy isn’t about puffing up your answers or sounding like a McKinsey partner. It’s about showing your thought process and making your impact clear. It’s about connecting the dots out loud, so the interviewer doesn’t have to.

Let’s Talk About Interviews

Here’s where I see this trip people up:

You’re someone who leads collaboratively. You don’t take solo credit. You talk about “we” because you care about your team. Because you don’t need to be the loudest voice in the room.

That’s good leadership.
But in interviews?

“We” doesn’t always get you the offer.

If you’re interviewing for a strategic role. anything senior, cross-functional, or decision-heavy, you’ve got to make your own value legible.

That means:

• Owning your thought process

• Naming the decisions you made

• Showing how you influenced outcomes

Not in a boastful way. In a clear way.

Reframe It: 3 Shifts to Try

Shift #1: From Team Effort to Personal Impact

Shift #2: From Tasks to Thinking

Shift #3: From Overview to Outcomes

None of this is about puffing yourself up. It’s about telling the truth in a way that honors your contribution.

The Bigger Picture

You’re not bad at interviews.
You’re not lacking strategy.

You’ve probably just never been taught how to translate your work into interview language that lands.

And if no one has modeled that for you? Of course it’s hard.

But it’s learnable. And we can work on it together.

Key Takeaway

“Strategic” shouldn’t be a mystery or a personality test.
It’s a skill. It’s a story. It’s how you connect the dots.

And next time someone says you weren’t “strategic enough,” ask:

Most people won’t know how to answer.
But you will know how to make it clearer next time.

Got your own 9 to 5 dilemma?
If you’re wrestling with something at work—confusing feedback, job search drama, leadership challenges, or just trying to figure out what’s next—I want to hear it.
Send your dilemma my way right here, and I might feature it (anonymously) in an upcoming edition.

Because if you’re feeling it, chances are someone else is too.

Upcoming Events & Trainings

“What’s Working, What’s Not, What Now?”

Wednesday, July 16 at 1 pm EST

Register: https://lu.ma/av4nezqh

Free to Cup for Ambition Readers & gumption. clients!

A mid-year check-in to get clear, get unstuck, and move forward with purpose.

Half the year is behind us, so let’s pause and take stock.

This 60-minute workshop is designed to help you step out of reactive mode and take an honest look at your work, goals, and mindset. Together, we’ll walk through a simple but powerful framework to figure out:

• What’s working—and how to build on it

• What’s not—and what it’s costing you

• Where you might be playing small or staying stuck

• What needs to shift in the second half of the year

You’ll leave with a clearer view of where you are, what you actually want next, and what needs to happen to get there.

This is for you if you’ve been feeling scattered, uncertain, or like something needs to change, but you’re not sure where to start.

You’ll also walk away with 3 key personal branding tasks to complete over the next 3 months:

1. Refresh your LinkedIn headline and About section to reflect where you're going, not just where you’ve been.

2. Identify one story or result from the last year that you want to start sharing more consistently in interviews, on LinkedIn, or with your manager.

3. Update your resume using a clear, impact-driven format that actually reflects your strengths and voice (you’ll get my formula for this inside the session).

August IRL : Nashville on August 7

TroopHR Coffee & Conversation, Nashville ☕️

Let's meet at The May Hosiery Mills Library @ The Malin 1131 4th Ave S, Nashville, TN.

This isn’t your typical networking event.
No awkward icebreakers. No salesy intros. Just real conversations with thoughtful people about how we lead, grow, and show up at work and beyond.

Join me and TroopHR for a low-key, energizing morning that includes:

• Non-cringe networking (we promise)

• A quick 3-2-1 learning session on how to advocate for yourself and your team in ways that build trust, spark alignment, and make work more human

• Light breakfast, great coffee, and even better company

This space is for you if you care about building things that last, leading with intention, and staying connected while doing meaningful work.

RSVP now to save your spot.

When Your Best Ideas Get Credited to Someone Else.

It happened to Lizzie Magie. And it’s probably happened to you, too.

In 1903, she patented The Landlord’s Game, a board game designed to teach the dangers of unchecked capitalism. It was thoughtful, ahead of its time, and deeply strategic. Two decades later, a man named Charles Darrow took her core mechanics, reshaped it, renamed it Monopoly, and sold it to Parker Brothers as his own invention.

He became a millionaire.
She got $500 and a footnote in history.

And if you’ve ever been in a meeting where your idea went ignored, only to hear someone else repeat it 10 minutes later and get praise for it, you’ve felt a version of what Lizzie Magie lived.

So what do you do when you’re the Lizzie in the room?

Let’s talk about the invisible theft of credit.

Idea theft at work isn’t always intentional or malicious. But it is common, and it disproportionately impacts women, especially women of color, LGBTQ+ folks, and those who are underrepresented in leadership.

It shows up when:

• You bring an idea to the table and someone else repeats it louder, and gets the credit.

• You lead the work, but your manager presents the outcome without mentioning you.

• You write the strategy, but only the person who delivered the deck gets recognized.

If you’re collaborative by nature (or just tired of office politics), it can feel petty to flag it. You don’t want to look like you’re chasing recognition. You just want your contributions to be seen.

You deserve to be credited for your work.
Not because your ego needs it, because your career growth depends on it.

Here’s what you can do (and what you shouldn’t have to do, but might anyway):

✅ Keep receipts.
Write things down. Save emails. Track your impact in real-time. When you know what you did and can show it, you’re in a stronger position to advocate for yourself.

✅ Name your contributions publicly.
“I’m glad that idea’s resonating, it builds on the framework I shared last week during our roadmap discussion.”
It doesn’t need to be aggressive. Just intentional. Use clear, calm language that anchors you to the idea without putting others down.

✅ Find allies who echo you.
You shouldn’t have to go it alone. If you work with people who see what’s happening, ask them to back you up in meetings, or reinforce where ideas originated.

✅ Get in the room where the credit is given.
Sometimes the problem isn’t who is stealing your ideas. It’s where the recognition happens. If all decisions happen in rooms you’re not in, you’re always going to be a ghost contributor. Find ways to get visibility in the spaces where influence lives.

If you’re a leader, this is your call-in.

Be honest, are you spotlighting your team’s work clearly and consistently? Are you crediting the person who built the idea, not just the one who sold it?
Don’t be the Darrow to someone else’s Lizzie Magie.
Owning your ideas is not the same as being self-promotional.
It’s about honoring your work and making sure your career reflects what you’re actually capable of.

Because over time, unrecognized contributions become invisible ones.
And invisible work doesn’t get you promoted.

So next time it happens?
Speak up.
Say your name.
Reclaim the idea.

P.S. If you’re looking for more guidance on how to speak up, take credit, and get seen for what you actually bring to the table, check out the newest training inside the Gumption Library: "The Self-Advocate: How to Own Your Impact and Achievements Without Feeling Weird About It."
It’s packed with real examples, templates, and tools to help you say what needs to be said—clearly and confidently.

Want to help me test something new?

If you’ve ever sat down to update your resume or prep for a performance review and thought, “What have I even done lately?” — this is for you.

I built a custom GPT that helps you uncover, shape, and save your career accomplishments using the Wins & Impact method I use with clients.

You’ll get:

• Resume-ready bullet points

• LinkedIn-friendly phrasing

• Coaching-style questions to go deeper

• A running list of your wins you can reuse anytime

👉 https://chatgpt.com/g/g-686d284d47fc8191a36d8dbc40eef37c-the-gumption-career-wins-impact-builder

If you try it, I’d love to hear what you think — what felt helpful, what felt off, what you wish it could do next. Your feedback will help me make this even better (and I read every note).

Just hit reply and let me know how it went.

Quick Action: Send the Thoughtful Nudge

Most effective networking right now doesn’t look like cold DMs or begging for coffee. It looks like this:

🧠 “Hey, I read this article and thought of you.”
💡 “I saw this framework and figured it might be your kind of thing.”
🗣 “I ran into someone who reminded me of our last convo—how’s that project going?”

That’s it.
It’s light. It’s personal. It’s generous.

You’re not asking for a favor.
You’re sparking a conversation. You’re staying top of mind. You’re showing you see them.

If it leads somewhere great, awesome. If not, you’ve still shown up as someone thoughtful, curious, and connected.

So here’s your move:
Find one person you haven’t talked to in a while.
Send them something useful or kind. No agenda.

Networking is really just a made up word to describe having relationship with others. Show people that you’re around if they need you, remind them that they’re memorable, and encourage them before either of you need a favor.

The Secret Weapon for HR

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That’s what this newsletter delivers.

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Every newsletter is written by Hebba Youssef — a Chief People Officer who’s seen it all and is here to share what actually works (and what doesn’t). We’re talking real talk, real strategies, and real support — all with a side of humor to keep you sane.

Because HR shouldn’t feel like a thankless job. And you shouldn’t feel alone in it.

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