Fearless Leadership – Empowering female leaders to succeed and thrive.

In my decade + as a leadership coach, I’ve seen countless talented women hesitate to take the leap into their next level of leadership.

I’ve also been guilty of it myself and I appreciate the complexity of the challenges women can face in the workplace.

Ultimately, the biggest thing holding us back is ourselves and our internal fears and expectations.

In this newsletter, I’ll be looking at these fears in more detail, as well as sharing strategies you can try to successfully overcome them.

The Fear Factor: What Holds Women Back.

1.      Imposter syndrome – where you attribute your achievements to luck rather than skills or hard work. You just don’t believe you’re good enough. 

This leads to self-doubt and hesitation because you don’t feel you truly deserve your success. 

2.      Fear of Failure - a feeling of dread that you’re not going to meet expectations or achieve your goals. Or, where you doubt your ability to make decisions, or to be creative and innovative. 

It can stop you taking risks or proposing new ideas because you’re scared of failing. 

3.      Perfectionism – making sure everything is flawless means you might delay decisions or avoid new projects because you’re waiting for the perfect moment or you are taking excessive amounts of time to perfect every detail. 

4.      Fear of rejection – being dismissed by peers, bosses or stakeholders can stop you putting yourself forward.

You end up not applying for that promotion or volunteering for that high-visibility project, because you are scared you won’t be chosen or supported. 

5.      Lack of confidence – when you don’t believe in your own abilities and experience and often think others are more qualified, or more competent. 

Self-doubt of this nature stops you from stepping into the leadership roles you actually have the skills and expertise to deliver. 

6.      Fear of judgement - worrying about how others perceive your actions and decisions.

This can make you feel anxious about your performance or make you hesitate to voice your ideas, because you fear negative feedback or disapproval from others.

 7.      Balancing your personal and professional life – managing your responsibilities at home and work and feeling guilty and inadequate in one or both places. 

This can stop you from pursuing demanding roles or leadership positions, because you worry you won’t be able to balance everything. 

8.      Lack of role models and mentors – when you don’t have them, it can make it difficult for women to envision themselves in leadership roles.

And a lack of guidance and examples of success can make you feel isolated and uncertain about your leadership and career path. 

9.      Fear of success - can make you feel anxious about potential changes, challenges and increased responsibilities that come with achieving your goals.

And that leads you to (usually unconsciously) self-sabotage your progress. 

All your fears come to the forefront, especially that success will lead to higher expectations, more pressure or stress, and even less of a healthy work-life balance.

How you can overcome your fears and move forward.

✔ Get to know your limiting beliefs  about success and the patterns of negative thinking where you might be holding yourself back.

Regular self-reflection with a mentor or coach, as well as journalling or feedback from trusted colleagues, can help you redefine what success means to you, both personally and professionally.

You can read more about overcoming limiting beliefs in this newsletter and how to overcome imposter syndrome in this LinkedIn post

✔ Get to know what you want  and why!

Set clear leadership goals and break them down into an action plan you’re happy with.

Find an accountability mentor or colleague to help you stay committed and inspired.

Develop a vision for your leadership journey that will inspire you when it gets tough and will motivate others to follow your lead.

✔ Set and maintain your boundaries  and expectations so that you can achieve a healthy work-life balance.

Explore flexible work arrangements, learn to delegate to your team and implement time management strategies to help you balance your responsibilities within the work day!

You can read more about setting boundaries in this LinkedIn post and learn how to delegate effectively in this blog

✔ Remind yourself you ARE already resilient and you’ve overcome fears, challenges and difficulties in the past.

Remember the coping strategies you’ve used before, the people who’ve helped you and the self-care routines that have worked in the past.

Shift your thinking to a more positive mindset where you view challenges as opportunities for growth and development, and also from a place where you learn from setbacks. 

And celebrate your achievements!

✔ Mentor and be mentored as it boosts your confidence and visibility as both a mentor and mentee. Building a support network of mentors, allies and advocates will give you guidance, feedback, encouragement and support.

And most importantly, it will be a positive influence whenever you feel you are self-sabotaging. 

✔ Seek feedback and act on it! Constructive and positive feedback from peers, bosses and colleagues will help you to improve your skills, recognise your strengths and areas for development and support you to acknowledge your impact as a leader.

✔ Speak out and step up as a leader. Volunteer for leadership roles. Take the lead on projects or working groups to demonstrate your capabilities.

This way you can practise and enhance your public speaking, presentation and communication skills, boosting your confidence and increasing your visibility and credibility as a leader.

✔ Invest in your professional development by not only looking for opportunities for learning and growth through courses and conferences, but also through seeking guidance and support from a coach for personalised and objective advice and accountability.

Whether you’re seeking to overcome specific challenges, develop leadership skills, or clarify your career goals, a coach will offer insights, strategies and an actionable plan for achieving them.

Find out more about how I can help you: Next Level Leadership Coaching Programme

Leading fearlessly is within your grasp

Your journey to leadership is not about the absence of fear, but about courage in the face of it.

Each step forward, no matter how small, is a testament to your strength and determination.

I’ve learnt over the years that the greatest risks in your life and leadership, are the ones you don’t take!

And if you want to boost your confidence, manage your limiting beliefs and enhance the skills you have already, get in touch.

I’d love to help you succeed and thrive as the leader you were meant to be!

Jackie