You said it. He repeated it. He got the credit.
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Sound familiar?

Every ambitious woman in corporate knows this sting. You share an idea in a meeting, only for your male colleague to echo it moments later, and suddenly, he’s the one recognized.

One part of you is faced with resentment because you know it's a great idea that deserves proper attention. No wonder someone else wants the credit for it. But, the other part of you battles with frustration knowing it's not being attributed back to you. Together, this drains your confidence and energy.

I lived this at L’Oréal too and it sucked. In those moments, I questioned "Am I not as sharp as I thought?", "Maybe I should just stay quiet", "Why was it better received by them and not me?". I also see too many women battling this exact dynamic today.

I came to realize that delivering results and great ideas weren't enough. The way you communicate them often holds an even bigger weight, especially in front of key decision-makers.

And worse, if you let your ideas go unclaimed, you’ll stay overlooked while someone else gets the promotion you rightfully earned.

That said, when you know how to take credit for your ideas, it builds your self-advocacy in the moments that matter most. Just like my client who initially struggled with having her ideas overlooked in meetings to building back her confidence and securing her dream role at Microsoft.

The hidden cost of staying silent

When your ideas keep getting overlooked, the temptation to pull back is real. To say less. To avoid being dismissed or overshadowed again. But silence has its own cost and its weight follows you home.
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Maybe you find yourself replaying the meeting at the dinner table instead of being present with your family.
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Perhaps you scroll LinkedIn comparing yourself to others who seem to get the recognition you deserve.
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Or even with close friends, it’s hard to fully celebrate their wins when you’re questioning your own visibility.
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It can feel exhausting. You’re giving so much but it feels like your voice keeps vanishing into the background. And deep down, you know it can't go on like this.

20 ways to reclaim the credit you deserve

The good news? You don’t have to sit quietly while others walk away with recognition for your ideas.

When I coach my clients through role-plays like this, the goal is to assert ownership in the moment confidently, without sounding defensive. Otherwise, your message can fall flat or backfire.

This is particularly important depending on the types of personalities and communication styles of your peers and leaders. I was just talking about this with a client this week. She started her new role and is seeing firsthand how much nuance there is in how to manage different personalities and their expectations.

So here's 20 of my go-to phrases to use in your next meeting to make sure your contributions are remembered, and acknowledged, as yours.
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Pick the few that feel most natural for you and practice them out loud to yourself. This will ensure they come off more seamlessly in the moments of truth.

"Thanks for building on my point [Name]. To expand on what I shared earlier…"
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"Yes, that ties directly to what I mentioned earlier about [X]. We can take it further by…"​
"I’m so glad this is resonating. When I raised it earlier, I was thinking about…"
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"That’s aligned with my earlier suggestion on [X]. I’d love to also explore it from this angle…"
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"Great to see momentum on my earlier recommendation. An additional layer to consider is…"
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"That connects back to the proposal I raised earlier. Let me add more context…"
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"I appreciate you echoing my point from earlier. To clarify what I meant…"
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"Yes, that’s exactly what I was highlighting a moment ago. Happy to take the lead from here."​
"I'm happy to see my suggestion is gaining more traction. Here’s what I recommend next..."
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"That builds directly on my earlier idea. I’d like to outline how we can make it actionable."
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"Thanks for reinforcing this [Name]. To recap what I initially shared…"
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"This builds on the framework I laid out earlier. Let me show you the next step I propose..."
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"It's good to see others are seeing value in what I shared before..."
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"Yes, and to reinforce my earlier point on [X], here’s some additional insights..."
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"To clarify, that's the point I shared 10 minutes ago as it relates to [X]."
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"Thanks for circling back on this. When I introduced this idea earlier, my vision was…"
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"I love the enthusiasm here. As I mentioned at the start, the key is…"
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"It's good to see my idea sparking more discussion. To tie it back to my original point…"
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"This is exactly what I raised earlier. I'd love to jump next to the implementation plan..."
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"It’s great to see alignment here. When I first proposed this, I was focused on…"

Pro tip: Anchor your ideas with data or facts when you first introduce them. It’s much harder for someone else to steal your idea as their own when it's tied directly to your research or insights.
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And if you do get intimidated in the moment and didn't get the chance to reclaim the credit in real time, you can still follow up directly with them afterwards. For example:

"Hey [Name]. I noticed in today’s meeting that the idea I shared was referenced by you again later in the discussion. I want to make sure leadership is clear it originated from me, since I’ll be building it out. Going forward, I’d appreciate you being mindful about that so there's no confusion as to who owns what as it relates to [X project]. Do you see where I'm coming from on this?"

[Check out my free LinkedIn Learning nano-course Nano Tips for Handling Difficult Work Situations]

You've got this!