Women in Tech Week is a great moment to celebrate the women driving technology forward,  and to encourage more women to see technical careers and leadership as theirs to shape.

You don’t need to have every technical skill mastered before you take the next step. Some of the most valuable skills are developed by choosing challenging roles, asking questions and being willing to learn as you go. Most of us grow into our biggest roles on the job, not before it.

Mentorship can make that journey easier. I’ve been fortunate to have leaders who acted as “quiet accelerators” in my career, giving me challenging opportunities, sharing their experience and lending me their confidence until mine caught up.

We also need to keep widening the network: supporting women, sharing knowledge and creating access to opportunities where technical expertise and leadership can grow together.

Breaking barriers isn’t about proving women can lead. It’s about making sure more women get the opportunity to do so, and celebrating what they achieve when they do.