There’s a moment in Working Girl that still hits just as hard today as it did in the late 80s.

Tess McGill has the idea.
She does the work.
She sees the opportunity.

 And then someone else presents it as their own.

If you’ve ever been overlooked, underestimated, or watched your contribution get minimized, you felt that moment.

And if you’ve ever hesitated to speak up, step forward, or claim your space… you’ve lived it.

Because Working Girl isn’t just a movie about ambition. It’s a story about visibility. And visibility is a leadership skill.

Leadership Lesson #1: If You Don’t Claim Your Value, Someone Else Will

Tess didn’t lack ideas.
She didn’t lack work ethic.
She didn’t lack potential.

What she lacked, at least at first , was positioning. In many workplaces, the difference between being recognized and being overlooked isn’t talent. It’s visibility.

Leaders who grow understand this:

It’s not enough to do great work.
You have to make your work visible.

That doesn’t mean self-promotion in a way that feels inauthentic.

It means:

• Speaking up when you have insight
• Contributing in rooms that matter
• Ensuring your work is connected to outcomes
• Letting your voice be part of the conversation

Because if you don’t define your value, someone else will — and they may get it wrong.

Leadership Lesson #2: Confidence Is Built Through Action, Not Permission

Tess didn’t wait to be invited into leadership. She stepped into it.

Was she fully ready? Probably not. Was it uncomfortable? Absolutely.
Did she risk being wrong? Yes. But she moved anyway. That’s the shift so many professionals struggle with.

We wait:

• Until we feel confident
• Until someone validates us
• Until the opportunity is clearly handed to us

But leadership rarely arrives with a formal invitation. Confidence isn’t a prerequisite for growth. It’s a byproduct of action.

You build it by showing up by trying. By navigating uncertainty. If you’re waiting to feel ready, you may be waiting too long.

Leadership Lesson #3: Authenticity Sustains What Ambition Starts

Tess evolves throughout the movie — in how she dresses, how she speaks, how she shows up.

But the turning point isn’t when she becomes someone else. It’s when she aligns with who she actually is. She doesn’t win because she pretends to be someone different. She wins because she steps fully into her capability. That’s an important leadership distinction.

Growth may require adaptation. But it should never require abandoning your values. The strongest leaders don’t imitate. They integrate.

They take what they’ve learned, refine how they show up, and remain grounded in who they are.

Because long-term success isn’t built on performance alone. It’s built on alignment.

☕ Culture, Coffee & Common Sense Reflection

☕ Where might you be underestimating your own value?
☕ Are you waiting to be recognized instead of making your contributions visible?
☕ What would change if you stepped forward before you felt fully ready?

Working Girl reminds us that leadership isn’t just about capability.

It’s about ownership.

Ownership of your ideas.
Ownership of your voice.
Ownership of your place in the room.

Because if you don’t step into that space…someone else might. And leadership begins the moment you decide your value is worth claiming.

Want more practical leadership insights like this delivered straight to your inbox?
Grab a cup of coffee and join me for Culture, Coffee & Common Sense.
👉 https://chelliephillips.com/culture-coffee-commonsense/