Who chooses leadership really?

Ever had that moment where you look around and think: “Wait, how did I end up here?”

Because let’s be honest  many of us didn’t exactly choose leadership.

Leadership kind of…chose us.

One day, you’re just doing your job.

Getting results. Quietly brilliant.

The next, you’re managing people, running meetings, navigating politics, and expected to inspire everyone around you, with barely a heads-up.

Of course, you step up. Because that’s what ambitious, capable women do.

But no one really warns you about what comes next:

➡️ The weight of expectations

➡️ The second-guessing

➡️ The constant “am I doing this right?” spiral

➡️ And the sneaky voice that still whispers, “Do I even belong here?”

When leadership gets heavier and life gets louder.

By midlife, leadership begins to feel different.

Not because you’re not up to the job, you absolutely are. But because you’re no longer just leading at work.

You’re managing teams and managing life.

You’re supporting family, aging parents, adult children, big decisions.

You’re trying to lead through complexity while wondering what’s next for me?

I hear it all the time from the women I coach:

💬 “Why do I still doubt myself with all this experience?”

💬 “I’m constantly proving myself. will it ever get easier?”

💬 “Am I too late for a bigger role… or too tired to want one?”

💬 “What if I want something different, but I don’t know what that is?”

And alongside that is the silent frustration:

🚩 Watching less experienced (often louder) colleagues leapfrog ahead

🚩 Feeling overlooked or undervalued, despite years of impact

🚩 Hiding your ambition because it feels risky. or exhausting

🚩 Wondering if you’ve become “too old,” “too expensive,” or “too set in your ways”

The truth?

It’s not a lack of capability.

It’s the noise.

 From systems, expectations, and internalised messages, all telling you to be more, do more, prove more.

Your experience isn’t a problem because that’s what makes you invaluable.

This is exactly what I support women with both through 1:1 coaching and group mentoring programmes.

Because the work isn’t about fixing you. (It’s never been you that needed fixing.)

It’s about helping you:

✅ Clear the mental clutter

✅ Trust your own wisdom

✅ Reconnect with what you want

✅ Lead in a way that’s authentic, sustainable, and yours

Making a real shift.

A recent client came to me burnt out, questioning her future in leadership.

She’d spent years leading brilliantly, but invisibly.

She’d sacrificed her own wellbeing and advancement to support her team, say yes to everything, and “just get on with it.”

By the time we started working together, she was unsure if she even wanted a bigger role.

But through coaching, she realised she wasn’t done, she was just done doing it that way.

So she stopped over-functioning.

Started making decisions that aligned with her values.

She put herself forward and was met with recognition she’d almost stopped hoping for.

What changed?

She reclaimed her voice.

Her boundaries.

Her belief in her own leadership.

Her way.

What if leadership could be easier?

What if it felt:

✅ Grounded: anchored in your values and strengths

✅ Empowered: not performing, not shrinking

✅ Balanced: with space for what matters outside of work

✅ Supported: by people who actually get it

✅ Respected: because you finally see your own worth

That’s what we build inside RECLAIM.

Whether with 1:1 Coaching or Group Mentoring the goals is the same: to help you stop questioning your place and start owning it.

This is your sign.

You don’t have to keep doubting your brilliance.

You don’t have to keep doing this alone.

And you certainly don’t have to fit into someone else’s idea of leadership.

If you’re ready to create space for yourself, your career, your clarity, your leadership get in touch.

📅 Book a free 30-minute clarity call and we’ll figure out what support is right for you: group mentoring or individual coaching.

Because you’ve already done the hard work to get here.

Now it’s time to lead like you belong.

Jackie x

P.S. If this resonated with you, you’ll love my email newsletter Leadership Unlocked.

Each edition is packed with relatable stories, mindset shifts, and tools to help you reclaim your confidence, your voice, and your next chapter in leadership.

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