Authentic Leadership for Women Executives in Their Executive Encore

Beyond the Mask: How to Lead with Authentic Power

For decades, you have excelled. You climbed the ladder, broke barriers, and led teams with skill and determination. Your career demanded that you adapt, often requiring you to wear different hats and project an image of unwavering strength. But now, as you step into your encore years, you might find yourself asking a powerful question: After all that, who am I, really?

This is a familiar feeling for many accomplished women. The transition away from a structured corporate life can feel like stepping off a fast-moving train. Suddenly, the silence gives you room to notice that the line between your professional persona and your true self has blurred. It’s time to gently reintroduce yourself to the person you are beneath the layers of conditioning.

On the Executive Encore podcast, transformational coach Sandra Rives shared an inspiring roadmap for this journey. It’s not about rushing to create a brand-new five-year plan, but about reconnecting with who you truly are to lead with fresh purpose and impact. It’s less about tearing yourself down and more about gently uncovering your core through quiet moments of awareness.

The Silent Erosion of Self

Sandra describes "The Silent Erosion of Self" as a gradual process where we lose touch with our own identity to meet external expectations. For high-achieving women, this often means suppressing parts of ourselves to succeed in environments not always built for us.

Reclaiming the you beneath the conditioning is a process of gentle excavation, not demolition. First, you'll need to tell your inner critic to be quiet so you can actually hear your inner voice. From there, you can start to get acquainted with the new you.

How to start reconnecting:

• Ask simple questions: What did you love before your career took over in shaping your identity? What activities make you feel energized and alive, just for the sake of doing them?
• Embrace curiosity: Give yourself permission to revisit old hobbies or try new interests just for fun, without feeling like they need to lead to something productive. I always encourage my clients to bring something off the back burner. Think back to when you could play and explore freely as a kid!
• Practise self-inquiry without judgment: Finally, it's about discovery, not performance. Your goal is simply to listen to what your authentic self has been trying to tell you.

Healthy Boundaries: Your Gateway to Authenticity and a Powerful Identity

As you start to reconnect with yourself, you will naturally identify what you need more of and what you need less of. This is where boundaries become essential. For many women who grew their careers by being seen as helpful, collaborative, and the "good team player," setting boundaries can feel unfamiliar or even a little selfish.

However, Sandra reframes this beautifully: Boundaries are not about shutting people out; healthy boundaries are about protecting your energy and honouring your own value. Healthy boundaries are the practical application of self-worth.

Think of it this way: every time you say "no" to an obligation that drains you, you are saying "yes" to your own well-being. Every time you protect your time for rest or creativity, you send a powerful message to yourself: "I am worthy of this space. My needs matter." This is the foundation upon which an authentic life is built. Acting in your own best interest is self-leadership and fundamental in building self-trust.

Sandra presents a compelling analogy to explain this concept: Think of your body and spirit as your home—your sacred space. To protect this space and keep it secure, you rely on a key for the door or a lock for the gate. These represent your boundaries. Without firm boundaries, it's like having only sensors, allowing anyone to enter and leave as they wish, disregarding your safety and needs. Consider how much energy is drained by dealing with toxic individuals and unhealthy relationships.

Self-leadership and Authentic Power

When you lead from a place of authenticity, your power source shifts. Personal power no longer comes from your title or ability to fit a mould. It comes from a deep, unshakable core of self-knowledge, self-trust, and integrity. This is the superpower of women in their encore years: the wisdom of experience combined with the freedom to lead with authenticity.

Authentic leadership is magnetic. It means:

• Leading with vulnerability and empathy, not just a projection of perfection.
• Trusting your intuition as much as you trust the data.
• Building communities, not just teams, where your power becomes generative, lifting others.

This approach allows you to lead in a way that is not only more effective but profoundly more fulfilling. It enables you to create a legacy of true and lasting impact, one that is uniquely your own.

Your Executive Encore Journey with Authentic Leadership

Reclaiming your authentic self is a transformative journey that empowers you to thrive in your encore years with purpose and passion. It's about moving from who you had to be to who you truly are.

Are you ready to build a future that reflects your authentic self? Sandra's coaching programs and resources, and Executive Encore programs are designed to support and guide you through the complexities and joys of your life transitions.

Call to Action

Watch or listen to the video podcast Authenticity Edge: Boundaries, Power, & Personal Growth and share your comments.

Explore Sandra's resources and connect with the Executive Encore Network for Women, a membership and community of inspiring women on this journey with you.

Email Sandra at [email protected] with the subject line ‘Executive Encore: Unshakeable Boundaries, Unapologetic Me’, to receive Sandra's complimentary Assertiveness & Boundaries Starter Pack, including a self-assessment, a short mini-training, and a daily reflection worksheet to help you step into a more empowered version of yourself.

Executive Encore VIP subscribers and members of the Executive Encore Network for Women have access to Sandra's time-sensitive opportunity to receive a special offer. Subscribe now!    Join now!