Sherry Liu

And so when I started my first job, I knew that for me to be successful in corporate America, I can't be saying yes to everything.

Because I need to make sure I get promoted and I can't be promoted if I'm doing secretarial work 100 percent of the time or the work that nobody wants to do and gives it to me and the work that has no impact.

And so in the workplace, I was like, OK, like I myself am trying like my best to not people please and stand up for myself.

But at the same time, I had to experience this additional challenge of people just thinking like, oh, like this is someone who is going to just say yes to everything we ask.

And I was telling her, I was like, I've worked so hard this year.

I've been working towards a promotion.

Like, where am I?

Like, and she looked me stir in the face and she was like, all of your projects, you're working a lot, but you're all helping other people.

Like, you need something that you own.

And I was like, but I don't have time to do any of these things because everybody needs my support.

And like, I want to help the team.

And she's like, well, I'm just going to be honest with you for you to like,

Gain leverage in the workplace and to like eventually be a senior leader.

You need to really carve out things of impact that you yourself lead.

And that means saying no to other extraneous requests.

It actually doesn't help you to be the most easygoing person in the office and say yes to everything.

Everyone's going to like you, but that won't get you anywhere.

And I was like, oh my goodness.

I need to start saying no to things.

After that conversation, in the future, I would go to my managers, and I would very clearly articulate what I wanted.