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Lately, I’ve been hearing the same quiet admission from women leaders across industries:
“I’ve done everything I set out to do…so why doesn’t it feel the way I thought it would?”
I see it every day in my work as an executive coach for women in leadership: brilliant, accomplished women who’ve climbed every rung, hit every milestone and checked every box…yet still find themselves wondering:
“Is this how it’s supposed to feel?”
This isn’t burnout. It’s misalignment.
The Difference Between Burnout and Misalignment
Burnout is from exhaustion from doing too much for too long without replenishment. It’s the crash after running on fumes.
Misalignment is more subtle. It’s when your calendar is full, your metrics are green, your team is thriving…and yet you’ve lost the connection to what once lit you up.
It’s the difference between surviving and leading from center.
When you’re leading from survival mode, decisions feel reactive instead of intentional. Your days are full, but your work feels strangely hollow. And because you’re functioning at a high level, most people can’t see anything is wrong.
What Leading From Center Looks Like
Here’s what I’ve learned working with high-achieving women who’ve realigned their leadership:
- Presence is the power move. It’s not about having the loudest voice in the room or the sharpest elbows at the table. True power comes from being anchored…fully present, grounded in your values and intentional in your decisions. Presence changes the energy in the room before you even speak.
- Leadership is impact, not title. Your role matters, but it’s not your only source of influence. The clarity, strategy and grounded confidence you bring to your leadership ripple further than your title ever could.
- You can recalibrate. You don’t have to blow up your career to feel aligned again. Sometimes, it’s about taking a strategic pause, re-anchoring in what matters most and intentionally shifting how you show up.
How Misalignment Sneaks In
Misalignment rarely happens overnight. It’s a slow drift. You take on more responsibility because “you can handle it.” You agree to a role that looks good on paper but doesn’t connect to your deeper purpose. You push through a season of high demand and forget to come up for air.
Before you know it, the work you once loved feels…muted. And because you’re still delivering results, it’s easy to ignore the tug that something’s off.
A Story From The Field
One of my clients, a senior executive in financial services, came to me with what she described as “success fatigue.” She was respected, well-compensated, and a sought-after leader in her organization. Yet, she confessed she was starting to dread Monday mornings.
We worked together to uncover the root: she was spending 80% of her time on operational tasks that drained her energy, and only 20% on strategic initiatives that excited her. Over six months, she realigned her schedule, re-delegated tasks and carved out dedicated space for high-impact work. Her energy returned…not because she worked fewer hours, but because she was working in alignment with her strengths and values.
Ready To Start Your Realignment? Here are three questions to ask yourself:
- Where am I spending my best energy, and is it where it matters most?
- When in my work do I feel most alive, engaged and impactful?
- What’s one small shift I can make this week to bring my leadership closer to center?
When you’re aligned, you’re not just more fulfilled…you’re more effective. Decisions get clearer. Your presence gets stronger. And your influence expands because people can feel the authenticity behind your leadership.
The alternative? Staying in misalignment until it turns into burnout, disengagement or even a career change you didn’t plan for.
Your Leadership Can Feel Different
If you’ve been feeling that quiet tug…that something’s off…you’re not broken, and you’re not along. You can recalibrate without losing the success you’ve built.
Leadership can feel aligned. Clear. Intentional. And yes…joyful again.
This is the work I love most…helping high-achieving women recalibrate and lead from center again. If this resonates, let’s connect and explore what that could look like for you.
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