The feedback you got wasn't about you. Here's the research that proves it.

A few weeks ago, I was running a leadership session for a law firm’s women’s network. Around 109 people joined, which was already impressive, but what really stood out was that around 20 of them were men. 

At the start of the session, I put a question up on screen and asked everyone to answer it in the chat. The question was:

"Have you ever been penalised for being assertive, direct, ambitious, independent or confident - traits often praised in men but questioned in women?"