How to Lead Quietly and Powerfully at Every Life Stage
How does the word leadership sit with you?
For many, the word still conjures images of boardrooms, power suits, hustle culture, and dominance. Leadership has too often been associated with extraction, control, and performance at all costs. But for a growing number of us, that model is no longer sustainable nor is it inspiring. Its end days are coming.
What is Quiet Leadership?
Quiet leadership is not about being loud or visible in traditional ways. It’s about showing up differently. It’s the kind of leadership that values reflection, relational impact, and integrity over recognition. It often goes unseen because it’s woven into everyday actions - setting boundaries, questioning norms, and choosing a different pace.
Quiet leaders don’t always take up space in expected ways, but they lead all the same - by creating space for others, disrupting the status quo gently, and living in alignment with their values.
This style of leadership is especially present in the women I work with. Even if they don’t claim the title of “leader,” they are leading in ways that matter.
Feminine Leadership Style: Beyond the 'Good Girl' Archetype
A Feminine leadership style is often relational, cyclical, intuitive, and grounded in care. It’s not about gender, it’s about reclaiming a way of leading that values inclusion, collaboration, sustainability, and empathy.
Feminine leadership challenges the dominant models by refusing to fit into the ‘good girl’ archetype or the externalised definition of success. It values authenticity and balance, recognising that leadership doesn’t need to mirror traditional masculine norms to be powerful.
I see this style of leadership in those who are:
No longer adhering to the 'shoulds' and social norms they were raised with
Reclaiming time, energy, and body rhythms as cyclical rather than linear
Redefining success in parenting, family, creativity, and career
Choosing slower, more intentional ways of living and working
This is radical self-trust in action - choosing to lead from within, even when the world doesn’t always validate it.
What Does Purpose-Driven Work Mean?
Purpose-driven work is work that aligns with your values, energy, and stage of life. It’s not necessarily about having a grand mission; it’s about knowing what matters to you and honouring that in your choices.
We engage in purpose-driven work when:
We feel called to contribute something meaningful
We act because we care, not just because we’re expected to
We’re restless about the current state of things and want to be part of the change
We trust the inner voice that won’t leave us alone
Whether it's visible to others or not, your purpose-driven work matters, especially when it’s grounded in care for self, others, and the planet.
Leadership Across Life Stages
What leadership looks like will shift across your life stages. What’s possible in your twenties may not be the same in your forties or sixties and that’s not a limitation, it’s an evolution.
The key is learning to notice what’s yours to do now, at this moment in your life. Maybe it’s tending to a family, building a creative practice, challenging systems from within, or creating a softer space for others to thrive. Quiet or bold, small or expansive, it all matters.
We need more of this kind of leadership: quiet, intentional, grounded in radical self-trust and expressed through purpose-driven work. We need feminine leadership that challenges outdated systems without replicating their harm.
If the word leadership still gives you the ick, start by noticing the small, unseen actions you take that go against the grain. That’s leadership too. Let’s reclaim it, on our own terms.
