Can You Lead While Healing? The Answer is Yes

You don’t have to be fully healed to lead. You just have to be honest about the journey.

Many women in leadership carry invisible wounds: grief, betrayal, burnout, or trauma that was never acknowledged, let alone processed. And yet, they continue to lead teams, manage projects, and show up in boardrooms like everything is fine.

Here’s the truth: unhealed trauma does not disqualify you from leadership. But it does require intentional support.

Healing is not a pause button on your purpose.

I’ve coached high-achieving women who feared they had to choose between healing and leadership. The guilt was heavy. The silence, isolating.

But healing and leading are not mutually exclusive. You can honor your pain and hold space for others. In fact, that kind of leadership is what today’s workplaces desperately need vulnerable, self-aware leaders who are emotionally present and deeply resilient.

Here’s how you lead while healing:

• Build a support system. Coaches, therapists, mentors. Whatever you need, get it in place.

• Know your triggers. Self-awareness is your first defense against reactive leadership.

• Set boundaries. Healing requires space. Protect your time and energy.

• Model what you wish others knew. When you lead with compassion, you create permission for others to do the same.

You don’t have to wait until everything is perfect. You just need to start with what’s real.

If you're leading while carrying hidden wounds, you don’t have to do it alone. Let’s walk through it together.

Book a Curiosity Call today at www.coachherlife.com.