A Woman’s Place In Leadership
Leadership by women is not a new phenomenon. Matriarchal cultures have existed throughout history, and women continue to lead with strength and vision in every field. Women get things done. They build, they nurture, they guide. Yet the challenges women in leadership face often come at a personal cost to health, happiness, and balance.
The Challenges Women Leaders Face
Women often juggle multiple roles—mother, counselor, spouse, provider, mentor—all while carrying the responsibility of leadership. Nurses are a powerful example of this: in addition to leading in healthcare, they experience alarming rates of burnout. In fact, a 2023 survey by the American Nurses Foundation and McKinsey found that 56% of nurses report experiencing symptoms of burnout, including emotional exhaustion, according to the American Nurses Foundation.
👉 In fact, a 2024 McKinsey & Lean In report found that only 1 in 4 C-suite leaders is a woman, and women are twice as likely as men to experience burnout at work, according to the McKinsey Women in the Workplace report
Performance Skills for Women Leaders
Peak performance requires learning specific skills. Some are innate, but most are learned over time—with coaching, mentoring, and practice. I call this learning to live “in the eye of the storm.” Like an NFL quarterback under pressure, or a competitive swimmer at the start gun, leaders must remain calm, clear, and focused even in chaos.
For women, these skills matter deeply. While men may feel more comfortable “leading the pack,” women can lead without sacrificing their natural instincts for cooperation and care. With the right performance skills, women leaders thrive in high-stakes environments while staying true to themselves.
Creating Cooperative Work Environments
A woman in leadership need not imitate a male persona. The real opportunity is to build cooperative, respectful, and caring work environments—settings where creativity and productivity emerge from mutual respect. These cultures are not only fulfilling but also deliver stronger results over the long haul. That is the partnership that works.
What Do Performance Skills Look Like?
To live “in the eye of the storm” means being Relaxed, Balanced, Flexible, and Focused—qualities at the core of the Mulry Method. The alternative is being tense, strained, distracted, and burned out. Skills like these are not reserved for athletes or performers—they are for all of us.
The Mulry Method shows how women in leadership can build these skills through Social Learning Theory (understanding motivation and belief), Polyvagal Theory (regulating stress and connection), and In The Zone Skills Training (practical, hands-on practice).
The Importance Of Belief In Success
Leadership is built not only on skills, but also on belief—belief that success comes from preparation and effort, not luck or the power of others. Social Learning Theory calls this an Internal Locus of Control, and it is one of the most transformative attributes of a leader.
When women believe in their capacity to shape outcomes, they step fully into leadership without losing their essential spirit.
A Woman’s Place: The Winner’s Circle
A woman’s place is in the Winner’s Circle. With commitment, self-learning, and performance skills, women can excel in leadership while remaining authentic to their values and instincts.
👉 Discover how the Mulry Method helps women leaders build resilience, self-care, and peak performance skills.