How I Finally Recognised My Own Impact at Work

For a long time, I didn’t think what I was doing was particularly special. I was just doing my job. Doing what felt natural. Showing up every day, getting stuck into the work, trying to help build something better. It's taken me a long time to finally recognise my own impact at work.

I was supporting a business transformation in a global engineering company. Specifically, the transformation of the UK & Ireland business unit. There was a new MD in place, and for the first time in years, the focus was on growth not just cost-cutting. That meant the culture had to change, the leadership had to shift, and we needed new ways of thinking. And I loved it.

I dived into the work, redesigning the performance framework, creating leadership forums, aligning teams around clear business goals. I was thinking strategically, but I didn’t really see that at the time. I just knew it was exciting. It was the kind of work that energised me. I didn’t realise I was doing something that had real, measurable impact.

But not everyone welcomed the change. Some of the operational Exec team members made it clear they weren’t comfortable. I received feedback, not directly, but through my manager, that painted a picture of someone who wasn’t “careful enough.”“Spelling mistakes in emails,” they said.“She’s always involved in decisions that used to be just ours,” they hinted.

They didn’t ask, “Why is she being included in these conversations?”They just assumed I didn’t belong there. And I internalised it.

Despite the work I was doing aligning the entire organisation to a refreshed strategic vision, I couldn’t see my own impact. I thought I was doing it wrong. I let the negative voices dominate, and I carried that weight quietly.

Then, at the end of the year, my manager gave me an exceptional performance rating. And I remember trying to hide my name from the list when I had to present to the Exec team. I didn’t want them to see it. I assumed they’d challenge it. That maybe I didn’t deserve it.

That’s the cost of self-doubt. It makes you shrink, even when you’re standing on solid ground.

Looking back now, I can see it differently.Yes, I made some mistakes. But I also made a

difference. A big one. The discomfort others felt? That was about their own confidence being shaken not mine. I was doing the work the business needed to move forward, and sometimes, that work unsettles the status quo.

It took me years to own my contribution. To see the strategy in what I did. To stop minimising it as “just my job.”

Now, when I lead others, I hold this memory close. It’s helped me believe deeply that everyone makes mistakes, and that’s where the learning lives. It’s helped me see how easily people scan for threats when they’re unsure of their place or unsure of their value. And it’s helped me anchor my work in outcomes, not opinions.

To anyone reading this who might be doubting themselves right now:

Put it into perspective.

Look for concrete evidence.

Don’t let someone else’s discomfort dictate how you see yourself.

And remember, just because you don’t see your impact in the moment doesn’t mean it’s not there.

Sometimes, your brilliance is loudest in hindsight.