Can I tell you something? I’ve been coaching women entrepreneurs for nearly two decades now, and there’s one question I hear more than any other: “How do I know if I’m really leader material?”
It breaks my heart every time, because I’m looking at someone who’s already built a successful business, manages a team, and has clients who trust her expertise. But she’s still wondering if she belongs in the leadership conversation.
Here’s the thing—and this is important—authentic leadership isn’t about fitting into someone else’s definition of what a leader should look like. It’s about recognizing the leader you already are and having the confidence to show up as yourself.
If you’ve been thinking about stepping more fully into your role as a leader, but something’s holding you back, this post is for you. Let’s talk about how to build unshakeable confidence in your leadership abilities while staying true to who you are.
What Authentic Leadership Really Means
Look, when most people think “leader,” they picture someone commanding a boardroom or giving TED talks to thousands of people. That’s one type of leadership, sure, but it’s not the only type, and it might not be your type.
Authentic leadership means leading from your unique strengths, values, and perspective. It’s about building trust through genuine connection, rather than relying on authority derived from your title or position. Women entrepreneurs are redefining what leadership means, creating new standards around flexible work models, employee well-being, and psychological safety because they’re leading authentically.
Your leadership style might look like:
- Creating collaborative environments where everyone’s voice matters
- Making decisions based on values, not just profit margins
- Building businesses that honor both success and well-being
- Supporting your team’s growth while maintaining clear boundaries
The most effective leaders I work with aren’t trying to be anyone else. They’ve learned to trust their instincts, communicate their vision clearly, and build teams around their authentic approach to business.
The Confidence Challenge Every Woman Leader Faces
I need to address something that’s probably familiar to you: that nagging voice that whispers, “Who am I to call myself a leader?” A KPMG study found that 75% of female executives experienced imposter syndrome at some point in their careers.
You know what’s wild? The women dealing with this feeling are often the most qualified people in the room. They’ve built businesses from scratch, navigated challenges that would stop most people, and created value for their clients and the communities they serve. But because they don’t fit the traditional leadership mold, they question their abilities.
I see this pattern constantly: A brilliant consultant will downplay her expertise because she works from home instead of a corner office. A successful coach will hesitate to call herself a “business leader” because her company is still growing. A marketing strategist will question her authority because she’s building something different from what she sees in the business magazines.
Here’s what I want you to know: Your way of leading is valid. Your perspective matters. And the business world needs leaders who think differently, care deeply, and create sustainable success.
Building Authentic Confidence in Your Leadership
So, how do you move from questioning your leadership abilities to owning them with confidence? It’s not about faking it until you make it or trying to become someone you’re not. True leadership confidence comes from recognizing the leader you already are and building on that foundation.
I’ve worked with hundreds of women who thought they needed to completely transform themselves to be “leadership material.” But here’s what I’ve discovered: The most powerful shifts happen when you start honoring your existing strengths and the leadership you’re already providing in your business.
Let me walk you through three practical approaches that have helped my clients build unshakeable confidence in their leadership abilities. These aren’t about changing who you are—they’re about seeing yourself more clearly and stepping into that truth with intention.
Start with Your Success Foundation
Right now, I want you to think about three significant challenges you’ve overcome in your business. Maybe it was landing your first major client, navigating a difficult project, or pivoting during uncertain times. Those moments when you found a way forward—that’s leadership in action.
Too often, we dismiss our own accomplishments as luck or timing. But successful businesses don’t happen by accident. You made strategic decisions, solved problems, and guided outcomes. That’s what leaders do.
Create what I call a “Leadership Evidence File”. It’s a running list of times you’ve led successfully. Include moments when you:
- Made tough decisions that paid off
- Guided a team or client through a challenge
- Created systems that improved results
- Stood up for your values when it mattered
When doubt creeps in (and it will), you’ll have concrete proof of your leadership capabilities.
Identify Your Leadership Superpower
Every authentic leader has a unique approach that sets them apart. Some excel at strategic thinking, others at relationship building. Some lead through innovation, others through steady execution.
What’s your leadership superpower? Pay attention to the compliments you receive most often. Do clients praise your ability to see the big picture? Your talent for making complex ideas simple? Your skill at bringing out the best in others?
Your superpower isn’t just what you’re good at. It’s what comes naturally to you that creates value for others. Studies have shown that female leaders have more transformational leadership styles. Your authentic leadership style might be exactly what your industry needs.
Practice Leadership Visibility
Authentic leadership requires visibility, but that doesn’t mean you need to become someone you’re not. Start small and build your comfort level:
- Share your perspective on industry trends in your network
- Offer to lead a project or initiative in your professional community
- Speak up more in meetings and collaborative spaces
- Write about topics where you have expertise and strong opinions
Each time you step into visibility, you’re practicing leadership. You’re showing others what you stand for and how you think about important issues.
Rewriting the Leadership Narrative
Let me share something that surprised me when I first started coaching women entrepreneurs: The biggest barrier to authentic leadership isn’t skill or knowledge; it’s permission.
Many women wait for someone else to recognize them as leaders before they recognize themselves. They think they need a certain title, company size, or level of revenue before they can step into leadership roles.
But here’s what I’ve learned after watching hundreds of women build successful businesses: You don’t become a leader when someone gives you permission. You become a leader when you take responsibility for creating the change you want to see.
Leading from Where You Are
You don’t need a massive platform to be an authentic leader. Some of the most impactful leaders I know influence their industries through:
- Mentoring other women in their field
- Creating content that shifts conversations
- Building businesses that model different ways of working
- Advocating for changes they believe in
- Setting new standards in their client relationships
Your leadership might look like the consultant who refuses to work 80-hour weeks and shows others it’s possible to be successful with boundaries. Or the coach who charges premium rates because she knows her worth and encourages other women to do the same.
Embracing Your Evolution
Authentic leadership isn’t a destination, it’s an evolution. Your leadership style will grow and change as you do. The key is staying connected to your core values while remaining open to learning.
I’ve watched my own leadership evolve over the years. Early in my business, I thought leadership meant having all the answers. Now I know it often means asking better questions and creating space for others to find solutions.
Give yourself permission to be a work in progress. The most authentic leaders are the ones who keep growing, learning, and adapting their approach based on what they discover about themselves and their impact.
Creating Your Leadership Action Plan
You know what? All this talk about authentic leadership is great, but I bet you’re thinking, “Okay AliceAnne, this sounds wonderful in theory, but what do I actually DO with this information?”
I hear you. That’s exactly why I want to give you a concrete plan you can start implementing right away. Because here’s the thing: leadership confidence isn’t built overnight, but it is built through consistent, intentional action.
The women in my programs who see the biggest shifts are the ones who take what resonates with them and create a simple, realistic plan for moving forward. They don’t try to change everything at once. Instead, they pick one or two areas to focus on and build momentum from there.
So let’s create your 90-day roadmap for stepping more fully into authentic leadership. Think of this as your gentle-but-purposeful approach to building the leadership confidence you’ve been craving.
- Month One: Foundation Building – Start by documenting your leadership evidence and identifying your unique strengths. Have conversations with trusted colleagues, clients, or mentors about the leadership qualities they see in you. Often, others can see our leadership abilities more clearly than we can.
- Month Two: Visibility Practice – Choose one way to increase your leadership visibility. This might be volunteering to lead a project, writing an article about your industry expertise, or speaking up more in professional settings. The goal is building comfort with being seen as a leader.
- Month Three: Strategic Application – Look for opportunities to apply your leadership style in new ways. This could mean taking on a bigger role in a professional organization, launching a new service that reflects your leadership philosophy, or simply being more intentional about how you lead your current team.
Remember, authentic leadership is about consistency over time. Small, regular actions that align with your values will build more sustainable leadership than grand gestures that don’t feel genuine.
Your Next Steps
You already have everything you need to be an authentic leader. You have expertise earned through experience, perspective shaped by your unique journey, and values that guide your decisions. The question isn’t whether you’re qualified to lead, it’s whether you’re ready to own the leadership you’re already providing.
Leadership isn’t about perfection or having all the answers. It’s about showing up consistently, making thoughtful decisions, and helping others succeed. You’ve been doing this in your business already. Now it’s time to own it.
If this resonates with you and you’re ready to step more fully into your leadership potential, I’d love to continue this conversation. Sometimes the missing piece isn’t more strategy or skills, it’s the support and guidance to trust what you already know.
Your industry needs leaders who think differently, who prioritize both success and well-being, and who create businesses that reflect their values. In other words, it needs leaders exactly like you.
What would change in your business and your industry if you fully stepped into your role as an authentic leader? That’s not just a question for someday, it’s a question for today.
Take the Lead!
Ready to build unshakeable confidence in your leadership abilities? Download my Strategic Planning Wheel to create a clear roadmap for your business leadership goals.
Connect with our community of women entrepreneurs who are building authentic leadership in their industries. Join us in the Leading Lady Business Hub or the Leading Lady Facebook group for ongoing support and inspiration.
