Courageous Conversations

🤔 Have you ever seriously considered leaving a role you actually enjoy, simply to avoid a difficult conversation with your CEO, line manager, or trustees?

I keep seeing the same pattern among senior executive women leaders. They are bright, trusted, capable and influential; yet they hesitate to voice concerns that are impacting their organisation, performance and wellbeing.

Not feeling valued, an unmanageable scope of responsibility, unrealistic expectations, or the fear of “rocking the boat” often push them towards silence.

And when silence becomes unbearable, they start planning exits instead of conversations.

Recently, several women I work with privately admitted that they were close to resigning.

- Not because the organisation was wrong for them.

- Not because they lacked ability.

- But because they felt unable to speak openly with their line manager about what was really happening.

Each of them carried the mental load alone.

One described it as “quietly drowning while keeping a smile on my face”.

Once we explored the fears beneath the hesitation, it became clear that the conversation itself wasn’t the real barrier. It was the belief that advocating for themselves would cause them to be seen as:

❌ emotional,

❌ vulnerable,

❌ difficult,

❌ demanding

❌ or less committed.

I've helped these leaders to find ways to express their concerns in ways that they were taken seriously and would be well-received. When they finally did speak up, each one was surprised to realise that their leaders were more receptive, collaborative and supportive than they had imagined.

And the relief afterwards was enormous.

Courageous conversations are a leadership skill, and like any skill, they can be learned.

With the right preparation, mindset, structure and language, women can advocate for themselves with clarity and confidence, protect their wellbeing and strengthen their professional relationships.

The goal isn’t confrontation. It is honest dialogue that creates alignment, trust and sustainable leadership.

🤔 If this resonates, and you know you are avoiding a conversation that matters, I can support you to approach it safely and skilfully.

Drop me a message to book a free discovery call.

You don’t need to carry the weight alone, and you certainly don’t need to leave a role you’re brilliant at.