A dinner invitation brought attorney Jeanine M. Donohue face to face with a familiar professional obstacle: the voice that insists everyone else in the room is more qualified.

Donohue had been invited to dine with a group of accomplished women general counsel, an opportunity she welcomed as a chance to meet and learn from lawyers she admired. But as she read the attendees’ biographies beforehand, one distinction stood out: She was the only lawyer in the group who had never served as a general counsel.

By the time she approached the restaurant after a day at a professional conference, that difference had grown into a series of doubts. She questioned whether the other guests were smarter or more accomplished and whether they would be interested in anything she had to say. She also focused on the fact that she was not a partner at her firm, despite that being an intentional career choice.

Donohue describes the inner chorus as the “Itty Bitty Shitty Committee,” a concept she credits to Denise Brousseau, founder of the women’s leadership program WILpower. The doubts became so loud, Donohue wrote in an Above the Law essay published in partnership with MothersEsquire, that she nearly walked past the restaurant and returned to her hotel.

The immediate reason she went inside was practical rather than inspirational: The temperature was about 90 degrees, and the restaurant had air conditioning.

Once inside, she found a group that was warm, funny and welcoming. The women listened to one another, shared their experiences and laughed together. Eventually, Donohue stopped questioning whether she belonged.

The experience prompted her to reconsider how easily a different career path can be mistaken for a lesser one. Professional biographies, she observed, display accomplishments but rarely reveal the setbacks, sacrifices and uncertainty behind them. Comparing those polished records with one’s own private doubts, she argued, creates a distorted picture.

She also recognized that no one at the dinner had suggested she was unqualified. She had nearly excluded herself before giving the other guests a chance to welcome her.

For those who are already comfortable in professional settings, Donohue’s account carries another lesson: Small acts of inclusion matter. Introducing someone, inviting them into a conversation and listening attentively can make an intimidating room easier to enter.

The women at the dinner did not know about the debate that had almost kept her outside. Their generosity quieted it anyway.