My first week as a Director.

Here's what I learned.

Earlier this month, I was promoted from a Manager to a Director, a position I always wanted. A close friend asked me how it felt, and I had two words for them: vindicated and justified. Vindicated, because as a manager, I made a lot of mistakes. So many mistakes that I thought my shot was gone. This promotion made me realize those mistakes were needed and served as opportunities for me to learn and grow. Justified because, as a manager, you work so many long hours - hours that sometimes go unseen - and you ask yourself if it's even worth it. The promotion made me realize it was worth it. It made me appreciate working long and hard before the title, and now that the title is here, it justifies the hard work put in to get here.

Between the vindication and the justification, I've noticed a confidence boost. As a manager, you suffer greatly from "imposter syndrome." At times you see the big picture, the solution, but are afraid to speak up. Because everyone here in the meeting with you is …