She never imagined that silence could be misunderstood so easily. For years she believed that hard work spoke for itself. She thought that if she delivered results, kept her word, met her deadlines, and supported her team, that would be enough. It felt honest. It felt natural. It felt like her. Then she stepped into the corporate world and discovered a lesson that did not match her nature. It was not enough to work. One had to be seen to work. One had to speak, show, present, explain, and sometimes perform. So she is learning the hard way. The spotlight still bothers her. Her voice rises a little too quickly in her own ears whenever she contributes in a meeting. Her hands feel warm when her name is mentioned. She prepares for team discussions the way other people prepare for marathons. She knows she must face the room, but she wishes she could simply focus on her tasks and slip out quietly at the end of the day. People sometimes assume she is confident because she gets things done...