The Women Who Quietly Change the World: Leadership, Legacy, and the Power of Perseverance
The quiet strength of a mother's legacy: how one woman's sacrifice shaped a leader.
There are some women whose strength enters a room before they ever say a word. They are not always the loudest voices. They are not always seeking recognition or applause. They do not announce every sacrifice, every difficult day, or every burden they carry. Instead, they simply show up—day after day, year after year. They lead through action.
My mother, Patricia “Nurse Pat” Edwards, was one of those women.
Before I understood leadership, I saw it in her. Before I understood resilience, I witnessed it firsthand. Before I understood perseverance, purpose, and sacrifice, I watched a woman live it every day.
My mother was a nurse for more than 35 years and spent much of her career working in intensive care. ICU nursing requires a level of strength most people never fully see. It means standing beside families during some of the hardest moments of their lives. It means caring for people in moments of uncertainty, hope, and loss. It means carrying emotional weight while continuing to show compassion to the next patient who needs you.
That takes a special kind of woman.
People knew her as Nurse Pat—the respected nurse, the advocate, and the caregiver who fought for her patients and gave everything she had to her profession. But before all of that, she was Mom.
And being Mom meant carrying another full-time role.
She raised three daughters while pursuing her education and working twelve-hour shifts. Looking back now as a woman and leader myself, I often wonder how she managed it all. I now understand that there were probably days she was exhausted. There were sacrifices she made that we may never fully know. Yet somehow, she created a life where we felt supported, protected, and deeply loved.
Her love was quiet.
It was not the kind of love that constantly announced itself through words. It was found in actions. It was in showing up. It was in encouragement. It was in sacrifice. It was in reminding me to keep going, even when life became difficult. She always encouraged me not to stop and not to give up.
Even now, I carry those lessons with me.
Then COVID changed our lives forever.
My mother passed away from COVID, and seven days later, my grandmother, who lived with us, also passed away. In a season when the world was experiencing collective grief, our family was navigating deeply personal loss.
Grief changes you.
It changes your perspective. It changes what you value. It changes the way you think about purpose and time. It forces you to ask what truly matters and what people leave behind.
My mother left behind more than memories.
She left behind an example.
Watching her navigate life showed me what perseverance looks like. Watching her pursue her passion while raising a family showed me what strength looks like. Watching her lead with compassion shaped the woman and leader I am becoming.
Women in the workforce often carry responsibilities beyond the titles on their business cards. Many are leading organizations while also leading households. They are building careers while raising children, caring for family, and pursuing purpose. They are expected to be ambitious and nurturing, resilient and available, strong and selfless—all at once.
And often, they do it while carrying responsibilities no one sees.
While progress has been made, women continue to face barriers in leadership spaces. Recent workplace studies show women now hold approximately 29% of C-suite leadership positions, a notable increase over the last decade. Yet representation continues to decrease at every step toward senior leadership. Research also shows that for every 100 men promoted into management roles, significantly fewer women receive the same opportunity—a challenge often called the “broken rung.”
Those numbers tell a story.
But so do women like my mother.
Because I watched a woman pursue purpose while raising three daughters. I watched her advocate for patients while advocating for her family. I watched her serve others while carrying responsibilities many people never saw.
She showed me that leadership is not always loud.
Leadership can be found in sacrifice. Leadership can be found in consistency. Leadership can be found in simply showing up.
The workforce needs more women leaders because women bring perspectives shaped by experience, empathy, resilience, collaboration, and vision. Organizations benefit when leadership reflects diverse experiences and voices. Studies continue to show that companies making intentional efforts to elevate women create stronger leadership pipelines and better outcomes.
Women do not add value because we lead like everyone else.
We add value because we often lead differently.
Being recognized as a 2026 Influential Woman carries a deeper meaning for me because influence is not measured only by titles, awards, or visibility. Influence is measured by impact. It is measured by service. It is measured by the lives we touch.
When I think of influential women, I think of my mother.
I think of the woman who worked twelve-hour shifts and still made sure her daughters felt loved. I think of the woman who pursued education while raising a family. I think of the woman who quietly loved through actions. I think of the nurse who advocated fiercely for patients and family alike.
If I have become a woman of strength, purpose, and leadership, it is because I first watched one.
This recognition may have my name attached to it, but her fingerprints are all over it.
