I remember sitting across from my mentor in a café, tears streaming down my face, unable to answer a simple question: "What do you want?"
After years of executing redundancies, managing difficult employee relations cases, and putting in 12-hour days, I felt completely depleted. The worst part? As an HR leader, I felt I should have had all the answers.
Sound familiar?
The truth is, being stuck isn't just about job dissatisfaction – it's a complex web of exhaustion, self-doubt, and fear that keeps us frozen in place. As HR leaders, we're expected to have it all figured out. We're the ones others turn to for career guidance, yet when it comes to our own careers, we often find ourselves paralyzed.
The signs of being stuck often manifest in ways we try to ignore: waking up in the middle of the night replaying conversations, doom-scrolling until exhaustion takes over, or feeling a knot in your stomach every Sunday evening. Maybe you're putting on a brave face in leadership meetings while secretly wondering if this is all there is. Perhaps you're struggling to be present with your family because work thoughts are constantly intruding.
Feeling stuck isn't a failure of capability, but rather a signal that something needs to change.
Here's what makes it even harder: imposter syndrome. A 2022 KPMG study found that 75% of high-performing senior women leaders have experienced imposter syndrome. And 57% said that they most often experienced imposter syndrome when they were making a transition to a different role. When you're already questioning your abilities, making a change feels incredibly risky.
But here's what I've learned through my own journey and working with countless HR leaders: breakthrough begins with acknowledgment. Acknowledging that feeling stuck isn't a failure of capability, but rather a signal that something needs to change. That burning desire for "something different" isn't selfish – it's your inner voice speaking up.
Coaching can be the bridge between burnout and breakthrough. It provides a safe space to explore what you really want, free from the judgment we often impose on ourselves. It helps you move from "I should be able to figure this out myself" to "I deserve support in creating the career I want."
Through coaching, you can:
Gain clarity on what's really driving your feelings of being stuck
Challenge the self-limiting beliefs holding you back
Create a strategic action plan that aligns with your values and strengths
Build confidence to make bold career moves
The journey from stuck to unstuck isn't about abandoning everything you've built. Sometimes, small shifts in perspective can lead to major breakthroughs. Sometimes, it's about rediscovering what you loved about HR in the first place. And sometimes, it's about giving yourself permission to explore entirely new possibilities.
As someone who's been exactly where you are, I understand how hard this can be. You can rediscover your spark and create a career that energizes rather than depletes you. If you're ready to move from burnout to breakthrough, let’s chat.
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I work with female senior leaders in Human Resources who feel stuck to help them love their work or find work they love. Like this newsletter? Please sign-up, share + follow me if you found this interesting. I write about:
👂 Executive & career coaching
📄 Career development and career transition
🎯 Job search strategy
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