Hi Gin,

There’s a version of leadership no one talks about.

The one where you didn’t exactly choose it.

A client who recently completed two years of coaching with me was a VP of HR at an international company. On paper, it looked like a promotion. In reality, it felt like pressure.

Pressure to perform.
Pressure to manage up.
Pressure to hold together a team with real gaps - especially across her European division.

Her calendar was packed with meetings.
Her nervous system was constantly on edge.

And underneath it all… she felt like she had been placed there, not called there.

So she did what many high performers do:

She worked harder.
She over-prepared.
She second-guessed herself.

And quietly… she started to shrink.

Not in title - but in identity.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying a role you didn’t fully choose…
or managing expectations that never seem to settle…

You’re not behind.

You’re at the beginning of something.

I call it the first stage in the Lifecycle of Evolution:
Disconnection + Overwhelm.

It’s not failure.

It’s the signal that your current identity can’t sustain what’s being asked of you anymore.

Next week, I’ll share what shifted for her - and why mindset alone wasn’t enough.

 -Gin

P.S. If this feels familiar, I’d be curious - where are you feeling this most right now? You can just hit reply and tell me. I read every response.