If you're feeling powerless at work right now, you're not alone.

At every stage of my career—from corporate senior leader to entrepreneur—I've felt utterly powerless more times than I care to admit. But here's what I've learned after nearly three decades in Fortune 500 companies: most of us have been sold a lie about what power actually is.

We think power means having a corner office, firing authority, or your name on the org chart. But social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven identified seven distinct forms of workplace power, and most have nothing to do with your job title. Expert power, referent power, informational power, and connection power are often more influential than legitimate authority.

The breakthrough happens when professionals audit their existing power sources and realize they're already more influential than they thought. Research shows that ambidextrous influence—combining both hard and soft approaches—dramatically increases your success rate. You don't need permission to start using the power you already have.

The World Economic Forum estimates that at the current rate of progress, it will take 131 years to reach full gender parity. We don't have that kind of time. By addressing burnout in midlife women directly and strategically, businesses can retain vital talent, wisdom, and leadership in their organizations, and women can use their hard won skills to seek promotions and plan next chapters!

Image Courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes

It all begins with an idea.