For years, I was the steady hand in the storm—the one who could keep a team grounded, make decisive calls under pressure, and smooth the edges when things got rough. But perimenopause changed that. Suddenly, no amount of mindset work, hydration, or perfectly optimized time blocks could keep the fog, fatigue, or emotional spikes from seeping in.
High-functioning leadership often equates to consistency. But what happens when your hormones throw that into chaos? When you wake up with a brain that feels like it borrowed someone else’s operating system? You start to see just how much of leadership depends on managing your own energy, emotions, and executive function. And when those things feel unstable, it’s tempting to question your competence.
But it’s not a character flaw. It’s a chemical reality.
High-achieving women are uniquely impacted because we don’t expect to feel off. We don’t build in margin for chaos. And we certainly don’t advertise when something feels broken.
But hormones don’t care about your calendar. They don’t care how many people rely on you, or how carefully you crafted your morning routine. They just... hijack. Quietly. Repeatedly. Until you start questioning your own capacity.
Instead of powering through and pretending I was fine, I started doing something radical: I told the truth.
I began telling my business partner, “I’m not at 100% today, but I’ve got capacity for these pieces.” I flagged when my focus was lower, so we could adjust plans. I built more flexibility into my calendar. I made space for walk-and-talks instead of back-to-back screens.
And the wild part? My team leaned in. They responded with trust, not pity. Because I wasn’t using hormones as an excuse; I was modeling transparency.
Hormone shifts don’t disqualify you from leadership. But they do demand that you lead yourself with as much compassion and context as you lead others.
If your body feels different, your leadership will too. That doesn’t make you less effective. It just means you lead with a new set of inputs, and likely, more empathy for the people around you who are navigating quiet chaos of their own.
Let’s stop treating perimenopause as a private struggle. It’s a leadership reality for millions of professionals. And until we normalize that, we’ll keep losing talent, confidence, and capacity we don’t need to lose.
At StringCan Interactive, we understand that leadership is not just about strategies and performance metrics; it's also about navigating personal challenges with grace and authenticity. Our team is committed to supporting leaders through every phase of their journey, including the often-overlooked challenges of hormonal changes.
Ready to redefine your leadership journey? Connect with us at StringCan Interactive to explore how we can support you in leading with empathy and resilience.