Advocating for a human-centred approach to leadership, the midlife power of female leaders, and support for menopause at work means being willing to lead these things publicly – often being the vanguard and educator, bringing ideas and information to people for the first time.
I mean, in lots of ways that’s what leadership is, right? The courage to stand for something that you deeply believe in and the willingness to be visible for it in the world.
When I was first approached last year by the producer of the Up Your Brave show on Reality Check Radio, I found LOTS of reasons to say no, principal amongst them being the differences in world view from the founders and some of the other shows on the station.
Ironically, I did NOT up my brave!
But when they came around again this year, to ask if I would speak with them to support World Menopause Day, I had to check myself and see a bigger reason to say yes: the opportunity to share information, and my thoughts and experiences in a ‘public square’ I wouldn’t usually stand in. Afterall, not everyone listens to Radio New Zealand!
You may not ever have considered listening to Reality Check Radio before BUT I’m hoping my conversation with Up Your Brave host Natalie Cutler-Welsh might give you a reason.
Natalie’s radio show covers topics related to confidence, courage, community, connections, resilience, holistic health and more and to support World Menopause Day, Natalie and I talked about ‘Menopause as a Gateway to Midlife Awakening’ – a different take on the menopause conversation than you might find elsewhere!
In our 40m conversation Natalie and I discuss:
- How I found my way to human-centred leadership and midlife advocacy
- What I mean by ‘midlife awakening’ and my own experience (both the chaos and the clarity!)
- Making peace with our changing bodies and meeting ourselves on paper to explore and rewrite internal narratives
- Challenging the social norms of the Three Stage Life (learn, earn and retire) and understanding ‘The Midlife Turning Point’
- Growing through adaptive challenges and navigating life and leadership transitions
- Gendered ageism and the costly impacts of internal ageist attitudes and mindsets; and
- Practical tips for making progress through midlife in body, mind, and relationships.
Rather than a conversation about symptoms and treatment options, this is instead about the possibility and potential for a more conscious and deliberate approach to life and leadership that sits within the physical changes and challenges of our peri/menopause transition.
LISTEN TO OUR CONVERSATION HERE.
Need help navigating YOUR Midlife Turning Point?
‘Midlife’ is a label we might feel a bit uncomfortable with. It smacks of negative stereotypes about our identity, visibility and limiting stories about our value and potential. But its where we find ourselves at 40-60ish: in the middle of life.
Midlife women don’t need fixing but we could do with some help!
