First impressions aren’t just important—they’re defining. Research from Princeton University shows that people form opinions about trustworthiness in as little as 100 milliseconds. In a new job, these initial judgments can shape your reputation for months—or even years.

Whether you’re an individual contributor, a first-time manager, a senior executive, or a CEO, how you establish credibility, reliability, and trust will determine how quickly you integrate, how much influence you gain, and ultimately, how successful you become in your role.

When I was in elementary school, we were asked to write our long-term goals on our report cards. I wrote: “Get a PhD.” I was maybe eight. A few days later, the teacher called me into the office. She told me to change it. “That’s too far out,” she said. “That’s not what I meant.” I remember sitting there, confused but certain. “But that’s what I want,” I told her. Still, they made me cross it out and write something more “realistic.”

It wasn’t the last time I was asked to shrink a dream. Throughout school, academia, and into professional life, I’ve heard the same refrain, over and over, dressed up in different language: “That’s too much—for you.” And so, like many women, I learned to split myself in two. The outer Tatiana—composed, acceptable, strategic. And the inner Tatiana—ambitious, visionary, quietly holding dreams that often felt too big for the room.