Revealed: The Secret Strategy to Success, Balance and Happiness for Women in Leadership

In the world of business and leadership, there's a powerful truth that every woman in a senior leadership position needs to embrace: the journey to the top can be a challenging and sometimes lonely road.?

You can also feel a little bit resentful when work seems to be just taking over. It is mentally exhausting and when you finish work, you’re often? only fit for a cup of tea, scroll on your phone and bed. You really have to push yourself to have a good conversation with your family and friends but you’ve very little energy to do that.

You may also feel like an imposter at times and feel like a failure when you don’t have all the answers. Second-guessing your decisions, not feeling like a proper leader and wishing you had more time to be strategic, it's draining.

Yet, there's a secret weapon that can empower women to navigate this path with more ease, confidence and success - professional coaching.?

As a Multi-Award Winning Executive Coach, CEO and Founder of 3SIXTY Leaders Club , people ask me all the time, “Lucy, how have you built such a successful business?with clients from Fortune 500 companies from all around the world?”

The answer is simple.

Investing in myself and taking the time out to work on myself.

I used to think hard work equalled success. And that I needed more degrees, MBA's and business qualifications, but when I invested in coaching, a whole world of opportunity opened up to me.

How Coaching Transformed Me From Overwhelmed ‘Yes Girl’ to Award-Winning Business Woman

Before the awards, sold-out coaching programs and international stages. Before there was a top-rated podcast with listeners in 92 countries. Before the confident, successful, happy woman you see stopping traffic for a photoshoot on Rodeo Drive Beverly Hills…?

there was an anxious, overwhelmed mother of 3, leading a team in the corporate world, with poor work-life balance, horrendous self-belief and a loud inner critic.

Eager to please.

Desperate for approval.

Scared to death to show the world who she really was, for fear of judgement, no matter how many times she belted out Beyonce’s ‘Who Run the World- Girls’!

Times were tough.

Looking in from the outside you’d have seen a high-energy, friendly, ambitious woman in an American multinational solving complex problems, delivering on time and shaping culture with a smile on her face.

But on the inside, I felt anything but “high-energy”.

I had three children, family responsibilities and a large team to manage as well as trying to keep my work-related anxiety, workload and self-belief in check.

I found it hard to stop working and push back as I craved external validation. I based much of my self-worth on my achievements, which meant I worked long hours and held myself back.

I was plagued by a chronic case of second-guessing, worrying about what others thought, and a battering sense of “not enoughness” that made everything feel 1,000,000X harder than it should.

I worked more than I lived and made things way harder than they needed to be

Until I discovered the power of investing in coaching. And that’s when my whole life changed and I truly achieved the success, balance and happiness I always thought was impossible.

Not only that, I had such a profound transformation, it compelled me to upskill my coaching to ICF standard, so I could empower other women to achieve 360 degree success too.

In the last two years alone, I've invested over €80,000 in myself ...and counting

And as a Multi-Award Winning Executive Coach myself, working with women leaders globally including Ireland, UK, USA, Dubai and Europe from many of the worlds largest organisations, I know a thing or two about the transformations and benefits.

Allow me to let you in on the secrets.

Self-Discovery and Growth

The foundation of pure coaching lies in self-discovery. It's about uncovering your strengths, values, and purpose, and aligning them with your leadership role. It's also about learning the skills and tools you're missing so you can unlock the power and belief within to accelerate your impact and success. A skilled executive coach guides you in this journey, helping you identify and break through self-limiting beliefs so you can build a life filled, with success, balance and happiness where anything is possible.

I facilitate this transformation through my VIP one to one VIP Coaching and also, through my 360 Degree Success Path and group coaching calls which are the foundation of my membership, 3SIXTY Leaders Club . The coaching process empowers you to lose the guilt that comes with carving out time for yourself, which leads to significant personal and professional transformation.

Increased Self-Confidence

Confidence is the most critical, yet overlooked leadership. To be effective in your role, you’ve got to have certainty in who you are and what you bring to the table. Imposter Syndrome has no place at the table, because you my dear have too much to give.?

Coaching empowers you to see how amazing you are and build that self-assurance and certainty within yourself. By setting achievable goals and regularly measuring progress, coaching empowers you to trust your instincts and decisions.

And when you work with a coach who also gives you access to a powerful community of like minded women, like 3SIXTY Leaders Club , ooh, the magic that happens is pretty special.

When you step off the hamster wheel and take pause to work on yourself with an executive coach, you will flourish. Taking the time to do the work on and for yourself influences how you present yourself, make decisions, and inspire your team. It has this profound ripple effect on everyone around you so everyone benefits.

Enhanced Communication Skills

Effective communication is the backbone of leadership and all relationships, at work and home. A coach can support you to refine your communication skills, whether it's delivering powerful presentations, conducting impactful one-on-one conversations, or handling difficult situations. And the best part is, the skills you learn for work, transfer into all areas of your life. Taking the time to work with a coach on your communication skills, ensures you remove the emotion, so your messages are clear and you boost your influence and impact to make positive changes at work.

Strategic Decision Making

Women leaders often face complex, high-stakes decisions which can bring a lot of pressure and self-doubt. And since at the top, men outnumber women 2:1 (that’s being generous), they can often feel pressured to have the answers. Masculine energy, fear of failure and imposter syndrome can cause them to get stuck in their head, instead of owning the value they bring and trusting their gut.?

An executive coach acts as a compass, offering an objective perspective and helping you navigate tough choices. Coaches can also offer advice and teach skills and tools to support you in your role.

I recommend you also seek out a community of like minded women leaders, like 3SIXTY Leaders Club , to gain different perspectives and insights. By examining different angles and potential outcomes, listening to others' experiences, coaching is the navigational tool that helps you steer your organisation through uncharted waters while being able to book-end your day and be present at home.?

Real Work-Life Balance

Maintaining a balance between work and personal life is a perpetual challenge for leaders. But much of that imbalance is caused my limiting beliefs, subconscious conditioning and old patterns. Executive coaching empowers you to shift your mindset, set boundaries, prioritise self-care, and find real harmony between work and life so you can enjoy the fruits of your labour with those you love.

One of the biggest mistakes I see women leaders make is they work too much. They think if they just keep working, they'll get recognised. But usually, this not the case.

The most successful people in the world know that success comes from being strategic and carving out time to reflect and learn. The best ideas come when you step away from the day to day and connect inward. Achieving this balance is not only essential for your well-being but also sets a powerful example for your team who look up to you. Success, balance and happiness is possible. With the right mindset, strategy and support.

Accelerated Career Advancement

Coaching supports women leaders develop their strategic vision and leadership skills at a faster rate than a one of leadership course. It also supports you to get clear on what it is you want and the roadmap to get there. This leads to quicker career progression and expanded opportunities.

With the guidance of a coach, you'll be better equipped to reach new heights in your professional journey and take small steps outside your comfort zone every day, with accountability and support from your coach, which amount to huge shifts over time

Accountability

A coach will hold you accountable for your commitments and progress. A good coach will also celebrate you and help you feel good about your achievements - instead of always looking at what's left on your to-do list.

With my private clients, I love being that soundboard and accountability partner for them. In addition, every month in 3SIXTY Leaders Club , our members set intentions and goals and hold each other to account, with the support of myself and my team. We want nothing more than to see our clients and members reach their goals with more ease and confidence.

This accountability is a driving force that keeps you on track, ensures that you reach your goals, and maximises the benefits of your coaching experience to ensure you reach your career and life goals faster and easier than ever before.

In summary, I wholeheartedly believe that every woman in senior leadership needs an executive coach in her corner.? It really is the secret to success and it’s not just for CEO’s or white men in grey suits.?

If you are a woman in leadership from Director to Executive level and you don’t have a coach, get one! You won’t regret it.

So, take the first step, invest in yourself, and give yourself the gift of personal development. It will be the best investment you’ll ever make

About the Author

When it comes to instilling confidence and self-belief, Lucy Gernon is the #1 Executive Coach in the world for ambitious, family-oriented women in leadership.?

She is also the CEO and Founder of 3SIXTY Leaders Club – an exclusive membership for female leaders who want to accelerate their impact and potential through leadership development and mindset mastery, so they can build a life filled with success, balance and happiness… where anything is possible.?

She's a mother of 3, Multi-Award Winning Businesswoman and holds many qualifications including a Masters Degree in Science and is International Coach Federation certified Professional Coach.

Lucy hosts "The 360 LeadHERship Podcast, " which frequently ranks as the #1 Careers Podcast on Apple and is among the top 10% of the most shared on Spotify globally.?

Lucy is also an acclaimed International Speaker, delivering keynotes and training for events and to corporate teams (both male and female) in the areas of female empowerment, career acceleration, productivity, mindset, confidence and leadership.

She has more than two decades of experience in the corporate world and has supported countless ambitious, family-focused women in leadership globally to unlock their leadership potential and accelerate their impact. When it comes to instilling confidence and self-belief, Lucy is the #1 Executive Coach in the world.

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