"I was confident in my technical skills but struggled to speak up in meetings. The Assertion Mastery Programme helped me realise the stories I was telling myself were holding me back - and gave me the tools to change them."

When getting promoted made me realise what was really holding me back

When I was promoted to Senior Solutions Architect at the end of last year, I found myself facing a new set of challenges that my technical expertise couldn't solve.

The role came with broader scope and more ambiguous work — exactly the kind of senior-level responsibilities I'd been working toward. But it also made me increasingly aware of something I'd been trying to ignore: the way I reacted in conversations where I didn't feel fully confident was holding me back from reaching my true potential.

Working in tech, which is still mainly male-dominated, I found myself second-guessing my contributions and staying quiet when I should have been speaking up. I knew I was technically competent, but something was preventing me from showing up as the leader I needed to be.

The wake-up call that changed everything

Around the same time as my promotion, I happened to read "How Women Rise" by Sally Helgessen and Marshall Goldsmith. I was honestly a bit shocked — maybe even uncomfortable — with how much I saw myself in the limiting habits they outlined.

"I thought, okay, I need to take a more active approach to handling and tackling this topic."

That's when a female colleague drew my attention to the Assertion Mastery Programme. I was instantly deciding that this would be a great way to approach what I was struggling with.

The first breakthrough: Reframing the stories I tell myself

My first aha moment came right at the start of the programme in the first module. The course helped me take a step back from my behaviour and reflect on the stories I was telling myself — and how to reframe them to actively drive change.

This was key for me because I knew this approach would help drive long-term change, not just address certain behaviours on the surface.

For the first time, I was able to reflect much more honestly with myself on the reasons why I respond in certain ways. While I'm still working on applying all the methods from the course (and I think you're probably never done with this — you can always learn more), having the tools at hand is already giving me quite a boost in confidence.

Practical tools that actually work

What I found most valuable was how practical the course is, especially in the second part, which makes it very actionable. This is something I miss a lot from other books or courses that are available.

I was recently looking up two specific tools from the course that I needed for my work: the five ways to say no and the five word swaps to drop unnecessary apologies. I'm actively incorporating these into my daily work interactions.

The framework for handling conflict has been particularly powerful. It gives me a really great way to prepare for difficult conversations, and through that preparation, I feel much more confident — even if in the moment it's still a practice I have to work on.

The transformation: From people-pleaser to strategic leader

The changes I've experienced have been both immediate and profound:

Setting Better Boundaries: I now feel much more confident saying no to colleagues. In the past, I would have likely just said yes to additional work or projects in order to be nice and please that person — even when it wasn't aligned with my priorities.

Speaking Up in Conflict: I'm now comfortable sharing my true opinion in situations where it might result in conflict. As I learnt through the programme, conflict can actually be fine — and very necessary and helpful in the long term.

Prioritising Career Growth: The programme is helping me prioritise work that is fostering my career, not just my job. I'm focused on the broader perspective of where I want to develop, rather than taking on every additional task that comes my way.

Achieving Better Results: When you can more openly share your thoughts, even if it might result in conflict, you actually achieve better results in your current role.

Why this programme works (and others don't)

The Assertion Mastery Programme addresses the real issue: being confident in sharing my true opinion in situations and developing the mindset to support that confidence.

Most importantly, it's helping me achieve better results in my current role because I can now more openly share my thoughts and opinions, even when they might lead to necessary but uncomfortable conversations.

The honest truth about what it takes

If you're considering this programme, you need to be prepared to be honest with yourself. You're going to go through a lot of self-reflection, and there might be some uncomfortable truths you learn about yourself.

But by going through this process, you'll have much better results. Don't treat the course as something you just need to put a checkmark on — this is something you do for yourself.

I personally got the most out of the modules when I allowed myself some time at work to focus on each topic and link the theoretical methods to real-life situations. That's when these actionable tools become truly your own and drive your future behaviour.

"The course really addresses the reason I initially got into the programme — being more confident in sharing my true opinion. I feel this will definitely help me prioritise work that is fostering my career and not only my job."

 "I'm able to reflect much more honestly with myself on the reasons why I respond in certain ways. Having the tools at hand is already giving me quite a boost in confidence because I know if there's something coming up, I can go back to the course materials and just look at some of the pieces."