How Midlife Women Leaders Can Overcome Life Transitions and Thrive

Life transitions can feel overwhelming, especially when you're juggling family, work, and your personal goals all at once. As midlife women leaders, many of us face a complicated mix of challenges: career changes, shifting family dynamics, health challenges, and the pressure to keep going in the face of loss or new opportunities.

I know what it's like to face these crossroads.

At one point, I lost my husband and my parents almost simultaneously. While navigating the grief, I also had to lead a new company. Another time, we were in the process of adopting my younger children while I became the first woman executive to lead a multimillion-dollar nonprofit.

The pressure didn't stop there; while pursuing my doctorate, foundation leaders and city officials asked me to lead a national startup. It was a groundbreaking initiative, a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership that had to raise funds and set the foundation for future national models. I felt I couldn't say "no" despite the other transitions I was going through.

And yet, in every transition, I learned. I grew.

I want to share what I learned about handling life transitions as a leader.

The Biggest Struggles for Women Over 50 in Leadership

Discrimination, especially ageism, can make life transitions even harder for women over 50. Understanding and addressing these barriers is crucial for continued growth as you navigate new roles or redefine your career.

Almost two out of three women in this age group report experiencing regular discrimination, with ageism being the most common form. It can be incredibly disheartening—imagine working hard for decades only to feel sidelined because of something as irrelevant as age.

Not only that, but for women of color, the discrimination is even more pronounced, with 70% of African American women over 50 reporting frequent discrimination. This intersectionality makes the journey even more challenging as both age and racial biases come into play.

Balancing work and family responsibilities remains another of the biggest obstacles for women in leadership. Nearly a third of women in leadership cite this challenge.

Karen Quintos, Chief Customer Officer at Dell, adds another challenge for midlife women leaders,

“The two main challenges facing women as they get older are a lack of role models and a lack of confidence”

What challenges would you add to this list?

How to Manage Life Transitions and Come Out Stronger

Transitions don’t have to break us. They can be moments of growth and reinvention. Here’s how you can manage multiple responsibilities, find new meaning, and keep thriving.

1. Take Stock of Your Values and Strengths

When everything around you changes, what’s important to you will keep you grounded. During my hardest transitions—losing my husband and my parents and taking on a new role as a leader—I had to remember who I was at my core.

• Assess Your Values: Take time to reflect on what you truly value now. Maybe it’s family, maybe it's your community, or perhaps it's the opportunity to mentor others. Defining these values will help you make decisions that are aligned with who you want to be.
• Highlight Your Strengths: Recognize what makes you unique. Remember that you're not just a leader in your organization—you’ve led in your home, through your education, and during countless crises. Strength is in your DNA.

2. Envision Your Next Chapter in Detail

When I was appointed the first woman to lead a major nonprofit, I was also in the process of adopting my younger children. To say I was in the midst of significant change is an understatement. But in this and every transition, imagining the future and who I wanted to be kept me motivated.

• Create a Vision: Envision what your next stage of life will look like. Do you want to start your own business, mentor younger women, or travel while consulting? Write it down or make a vision board. Visualizing your dreams helps you work towards them every day.
• Align Your Roles: Consider how your professional goals can blend with your personal life. While pursuing my doctorate, I chose to focus my research on leadership, something I lived every day. This allowed me to integrate rather than compartmentalize my life.

3. Rebuild Your Image and Share Your Journey

Changing roles often means rebranding yourself. I remember when I had to present myself as the leader of a national model organization. It was a new role in a new field, and to step into this identity, I had to intentionally shape my public image.

• Update Your Online Presence: Your LinkedIn and other social profiles should reflect your current and future roles. Make sure your accomplishments, roles, and expertise are clear and visible. Don’t downplay your achievements—embrace them.
• Refresh Your Wardrobe for Confidence: Adopting a new style has helped many of the leaders I work with feel more confident stepping into new spaces. It wasn't about being trendy—it was about feeling like the person they wanted to become.

Facing and Overcoming Discrimination

Facing discrimination is yet another layer to the life transitions many of us experience. Navigating these biases while adapting to new personal and professional identities requires both resilience and strategy

Discrimination, especially ageism, is a real barrier. Women in leadership roles over 50 are often wrongly judged based on their age, leading to fewer opportunities for growth or promotion. The fight against these stereotypes is ongoing, but there are ways we can combat it:

Don’t Let Age Define You: The assumption that older means "less capable" is simply wrong. Your experience is invaluable, and it's time to make that clear to everyone around you.

- Speak Up and Set the Standard: Many women, 74%, say they closely observe their surroundings and are careful about how they speak because of the biases they face [4]. Instead of shrinking yourself to fit, embrace your voice. We need more women speaking up, not less.

The Power of a Supportive Community

No leader can succeed alone. The times I’ve thrived during transitions were also when I leaned into my community for support. I found mentors, colleagues, and friends who believed in my vision.

• Build a Circle of Trust: Surround yourself with people who can uplift you. Whether it’s a mentor or a peer group of women leaders, these relationships are priceless.
• Become the Mentor You Needed: Women lack role models. Fill that gap by becoming a mentor for the next generation. Your story, struggles, and victories can inspire another woman to keep going.

Quotes for Inspiration

Transitions aren’t easy, but we’re not alone. Here are some powerful quotes to keep you going:

“You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.” - Oprah Winfrey

“We can each define ambition and progress for ourselves. The goal is to work toward a world where expectations are not set by the stereotypes that hold us back, but by our personal passion, talents, and interests.” - Sheryl Sandberg

“We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.”- Maya Angelou

Conclusion: The Power of Embracing Change

Navigating life transitions is an ongoing journey. Each shift—stepping into a new role, facing personal loss, or pursuing a new dream—demands courage and resilience. The key is to keep your vision clear, face challenges head-on, and lean on the community around you for support.

Remember, growth comes from embracing these moments, and with each transition, you can evolve into an even stronger leader.

I'd love to hear from you. What life transitions have you faced, and what lessons have you learned along the way?

Share your story and inspire others—together, we can uplift and support one another on this journey.

Your Mentor,

Dr. Geneva

P.S. Also, if you're ready to make 2025 your breakthrough year, let's create your game plan together. Schedule a strategy call with me, and I'll provide you with two actionable strategies to set yourself up for success in 2025. Let's take this journey forward together!