one phrase makes you sound junior in every meeting

I used to say things like “I just helped with the project” or “it was a team effort,” Reader, even in weeks when I'd done most of the work. I thought I was being humble, but I was actually training people to undervalue me. It's called minimizing language, and it hides in phrases that feel polite but erase your role. Here are three swaps: Instead of: “I just helped with the project.” → Try: "I led the project and brought in [person/team] to support execution." Instead of: “It was a team...