The confidence gap isn’t about expertise. It’s about practice.

Aug. 24, 2026, 9:42 AM EDT By Candace Doby Women don’t need more degrees. They need more practice speaking up. If expertise alone determined who spoke with confidence at work, then it would make sense that the most accomplished women have the easiest time speaking up. Yet the opposite is true for many of the women I’ve worked with as a leadership communication advisor. That was the case with Robin, a senior leader at a globally-renowned advertising agency whose talent was unparalleled. She led teams and creative work that won the highest honors at annual award shows, and her name traveled far and wide in agency circles. But her words in meetings didn’t carry the same weight as her reputation. In leadership huddles, where colleagues expected her to set the town, Robin struggled to speak wit