When the World Feels Too Big

Some days, the world feels impossibly loud. The headlines. The politics. The pressure to respond, pivot, decide — faster than ever before. Systems are shifting. Expectations are rising (or lowering?). For those of us in leadership roles, it can feel like the weight of the future is sitting squarely on our shoulders. But I try to remind myself of something in these moments — when everything feels too big, too complex, too urgent. We come back to what we can control. We come back to how we choose to show up.

The real work of leadership isn’t always found in sweeping declarations or bold strategic pivots. It’s in the quiet, consistent choices we make every day. Choosing transparency when it would be easier to stay silent. Holding space for the uncontrollable discomfort when we can't find a resolution. Opting for the long-term impact over the short-term win. Asking who’s not in the room — and then actively making space for them. These decisions may not grab headlines, but they are the ones that shape culture, build trust, and define what it feels like to work with us.

We don’t always have control over the systems we operate in, and today that feels more real than ever before — market shifts, global policy changes, and public sentiment can feel completely out of reach. But we do have influence. We have the ability to shape how people experience our leadership and how our decisions ripple outward. We can create clarity amidst chaos, and lead from a place of groundedness, even when the terrain beneath us keeps moving. That’s what responsible leadership looks like in this moment: not perfect answers, but intentional presence.

We’re also living in an era where complexity doesn’t need more noise — it needs more integrity. We need less performative leadership and demand leadership aligned values and action. Less appetite for buzzwords, and more urgency for substance. And in that space, the leaders who will thrive are the ones who stay rooted in their values, especially when the pressure is on. It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about being the most trusted one.

And as the world continues to feel like too much — when the systems feel too broken or the change too slow — it’s tempting to pull back. But that’s when we need to zoom in. What’s mine to do today? What conversation have I been avoiding? Where can I shift something, even slightly, toward a more equitable, sustainable, human way of working? These aren’t small questions. They’re the ones that move us — and our organizations — forward.

At Femina Collective, we built a space for exactly this: for women navigating complexity, responsibility, and ambition in industries that haven’t always reflected who they are or how they lead. It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about asking better questions — together. If you’re looking for grounded, real conversations about what leadership looks like now, you’ll feel at place here.

So when the world feels too big, come back to yourself. To your values. Your people. Your impact. How you show up is the most powerful lever you have.