Are You A Leader?
It’s a simple question.
However, I’ve learned that it rarely gets a simple answer.
It’s a question I’ve asked countless women in mastermind sessions, casual conversations, and interviews on The LeadHer Shift Podcast.
And 9 times out of 10, the answer is not an immediate “yes.”
Instead, I get:
- A long pause and hesitation.
- A nervous laugh, followed by “Hmm… I’m not sure.”
- Or a reluctant “Well, I guess so.”
This has always fascinated me.
Because, also, 9 times out of 10, these are the same women who are:
Launching and running businesses
Leading initiatives in their communities
Holding down careers while raising families
Managing teams, households, or both, even when their own cup feels empty
Raising some of the most complex humans on the planet (also known as children)
So, what’s really going on?
Why does claiming the word “leader” still feel so out of reach for so many of us?
The Leadership Disconnect: Why Influence Doesn’t Always Feel Like Authority
If we borrow John Maxwell’s definition, that leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less, then most of us are leading every single day.
We influence how our children grow.
We influence how our teams function.
We influence how our clients think, feel, and act.
We influence the culture of our homes, organizations, and communities.
And yet… we hesitate.
Why?
Maybe many of us are still carrying outdated definitions of what leadership is supposed to look like.
We’ve been conditioned to see leadership as:
- A job title
- A corner office
- A seat at the table
- A politician
- A loud voice in the room
- A “boss”
- A role someone else gives you
So when our leadership shows up differently, as nurturing, intuitive, behind-the-scenes, or emotionally intelligent, we question whether it counts.
The Real Question Is: What Kind of Leader Are You?
The issue isn’t whether we’re leaders.
It’s whether we’ve learned to see ourselves as such, and whether we’ve given ourselves the permission to lead in our own way.
This is the heart of my work at The LeadHer Shift. I help women move from:
- Inner awareness to outer authority
- Quiet impact to visible leadership
- Self-doubt to self-definition
Simply because, if we don’t shift our mindset around what leadership is, we’ll keep playing small in rooms we’re meant to transform.
Let’s Redefine Leadership… Together!
So I’ll ask you the same question I ask my community, my clients, and my podcast guests:
Are you a leader?
And without hesitation, type “yes” in the comments.
Following that answer, I invite you to pause and reflect.
- Where are you already influencing others?
- How are you already showing up with intention, care, or vision?
- What narratives have shaped how you define leadership?
