The Power Table: GhanaInnov8 Panel Explores Influence, Access and Protecting What You Build

What does it really take to gain access to powerful rooms,  and more importantly, what does it take to remain there? That question took centre stage at the GhanaInnov8 Summit, where three accomplished women from government, law, technology and global business shared candid insights on influence, credibility, visibility and protecting the value individuals build throughout their careers.

The panel, themed “The Power Table: Influence, Access & Protecting What You Build,” was moderated by Jae Amoah, Vice President of GhanaInnov8, and featured Deniece O. Laurent-Mantey, Special Advisor at the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State; Therese Conduah, Partner at Alston & Bird LLP; and Amma Kwarteng, a Global Marketing and Business Strategy Executive at Veeam Software.

The conversation formed part of the GhanaInnov8 Summit held at Georgia State University in Atlanta on September 5, 2026.

Rather than presenting influence as simply a matter of knowing the right people or receiving an invitation into exclusive spaces, the panelists challenged participants to think more deeply about what gives people lasting power.

Access Gets You In, Value Keeps You There

Opening the conversation, the panel explored the widely held belief that success is often determined by the people one knows and the rooms one can enter. But access, the speakers agreed, is only the beginning.

“The people that you know, or the rooms that you’re able to get in, I think power is about how you stay in those rooms,” Deniece O. Laurent-Mantey noted.

The conversation emphasised that credibility, usefulness and value are ultimately what sustain influence. Rather than chasing influential people or seeking attention for its own sake, participants were encouraged to focus on becoming indispensable.

“Be useful at the onset instead of trying to impress people,” Laurent-Mantey, added. That means identifying the problems others are avoiding and becoming someone capable of solving them. What are the critical challenges facing an organisation? What problems are people unwilling to tackle? And how can an individual provide practical solutions?

For the panelists, this was a more sustainable path to influence than simply pursuing proximity to powerful people. Power, they suggested, is not just about access. It is about the value you bring once access has been granted.

Do What You Do Best

Another major theme was authenticity. In a world where professionals are constantly exposed to the achievements and careers of others, there can be enormous pressure to imitate successful people.

The panelists cautioned against that approach. “Do what you do best,” Therese Conduah advised. Rather than trying to become someone else, professionals should understand their strengths, develop their capabilities and build careers around what they genuinely do well.

Authenticity, she argued, is becoming increasingly valuable. Professional excellence, education and efficiency may all be important foundations for leadership, but individuals must also understand what makes them distinct. The challenge is not simply to enter a room. It is to understand what unique value you bring into it. That requires self-awareness. It requires confidence. And it requires the courage to own one’s identity.

Performance Opens Doors, But Visibility Matters

Amma Kwarteng brought a practical perspective to the conversation about gaining access and building influence within professional environments. For her, two things are particularly important: performance and results.

Numbers, she noted, can be difficult to argue with. Strong performance demonstrates that an individual can add value to an organisation, initiative, deal or business. But she also made an important point that resonated throughout the panel: Being excellent in private is not always enough. “It wasn’t good enough to be amazing, but in a corner,” she explained.

Professionals must also learn how to communicate the value they create. That does not mean bragging. It means being able to confidently articulate accomplishments, results and impact. “This is what I’ve accomplished,” she explained, describing the importance of being able to communicate one’s professional contributions.

For Kwarteng, marketing oneself is part of professional growth. People who create value but never communicate that value risk being overlooked. The lesson was particularly relevant to professionals raised in cultures where humility is often interpreted as remaining silent about one’s achievements.

The panel challenged that thinking. Humility and invisibility are not the same thing.

Excellence Gets You Noticed

Therese Conduah shared her own experience of learning that hard work alone does not always create career advancement. As a lawyer working in a large professional environment with numerous associates, she quickly realised that technical competence was only part of the equation. “I was getting my head down, all those hours working,” she recalled.

Her work required intense concentration and technical expertise, and she focused heavily on delivering excellent results. But a piece of advice from a senior partner changed her perspective. “You need to get out and look at how you act,” she was told.

The message was clear. People needed to know who she was. “Excellence will get you noticed, but relationships and character will get you remembered,” became one of the most powerful ideas to emerge from the discussion.

Professional success requires more than competence. Relationships matter. People spend significant amounts of time working together, and career growth often depends on how effectively individuals build trust and meaningful professional connections.

Conduah also highlighted the importance of both mentorship and sponsorship. Mentors provide advice. Sponsors go further,  they advocate for people in rooms where they may not be present. That distinction can be critical. Professionals should therefore think about the reputation they are building and what people say about them when they are not in the room.

Have an Elevator Story

Conduah also offered a practical strategy for professionals navigating influential spaces. When a senior executive, colleague or decision-maker asks, “What are you working on?”, be ready. She encouraged professionals to have one or two key accomplishments, projects or initiatives they can clearly communicate.

Whether it is an important client, a successful project or a significant result, people should be prepared to explain what they are doing and why it matters. The goal is not to dominate every conversation. It is to ensure that people leave with a clear understanding of who you are and what value you bring. In an increasingly competitive professional environment, that clarity can make a difference.

Relationships and Character Create Lasting Influence

The conversation repeatedly returned to relationships. While the phrase “It’s about who you know” is often used to describe career advancement, the panelists argued that the deeper issue is the quality of those relationships. “Power isn’t just about access to power,” Amma Kwarteng explained. “It’s essentially a value exchange.”

The question, therefore, becomes: What are you bringing to the table? What problems can you solve? How can you help others succeed? And what value do people associate with your name? Relationships built purely on personal advancement may be temporary. But relationships built on trust, usefulness and shared value can create long-term influence.

The panelists also highlighted the importance of basic human qualities that can sometimes be overlooked in highly competitive environments. Being kind. Being helpful. Having a good attitude. Offering a helping hand. These things matter.

“People remember you because of how you made them feel,” Therese Conduah added.

For aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs, the message was clear: skills may open opportunities, but character often determines whether those opportunities become lasting relationships.

Visibility Without Becoming an Attention Seeker

The modern professional landscape has created another challenge: visibility. Social media platforms, particularly LinkedIn, have become important tools for professionals seeking to establish expertise and build personal brands. The panel acknowledged that visibility is now increasingly necessary.

“We are in a generation where everyone needs to be visible, whether we like it or not,” Kwarteng said. LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram and other platforms can provide professionals with opportunities to communicate their expertise and share their accomplishments.

But the panel also warned against confusing visibility with achievement. “There’s a difference between being visible and replacing attention with accomplishments,” the Laurent-Mantey emphasised.

The goal should not be to become famous without substance. Visibility should amplify genuine work. Professionals still need to be accomplished. They still need to perform. They still need to deliver results. But hiding behind a desk and hoping that hard work will always speak for itself can also be a mistake. The challenge is to find balance. Be visible, but remain credible. Communicate your accomplishments, but continue doing the work. Build an audience, but do not substitute attention for achievement.

Navigating Bias and Owning Your Narrative

Kwarteng also addressed the realities of navigating professional spaces as a Black woman in technology. She spoke about the delicate balance that professionals from underrepresented groups can sometimes face. Be too outspoken, and people may consider you “too aggressive.” Remain too quiet, and others may be promoted ahead of you. The challenge is learning how to confidently communicate accomplishments while remaining authentic.

Kwarteng said she approaches that balance by recognising the role of teams in her achievements. When discussing a successful project or major accomplishment, she makes room to acknowledge the people who contributed to the outcome. Professional visibility, therefore, does not have to mean individual self-promotion at the expense of others. It can also mean celebrating collective achievement while clearly communicating one’s role and impact.

She also urged professionals to own their narratives, particularly when working with mentors and sponsors. “Don’t put the burden on your mentor or sponsor to figure out” what you want, she advised. Instead, professionals should clearly communicate their goals, achievements and ambitions. A regular update can help mentors and sponsors understand what someone has accomplished and where they want to go next. That makes it easier for influential advocates to speak about them effectively in the rooms that matter.

Your Difference Can Be Your Advantage

The panel also encouraged participants not to hide the things that make them different. A unique background. A distinctive name. A different perspective. A non-traditional career journey.

These characteristics can become powerful elements of a personal brand. Rather than trying to blend into every environment, professionals can learn to lean into the qualities that make them memorable. The goal is not simply to be different for attention. It is to understand how one’s background and perspective can create genuine value.

That distinction can become a professional advantage.

The Real Meaning of the Power Table

By the end of the conversation, the meaning of “The Power Table” had expanded beyond titles, job positions and exclusive networks. The panel suggested that true influence is built through a combination of: Excellence, Results, Relationships, Character, Authenticity,  Visibility;  and the ability to consistently create value.

Access may get someone into a room. But credibility determines whether they remain. A strong network may introduce someone to an opportunity. But performance determines what they do with it. And visibility may help people become known. But character determines how they are remembered.