Did you know, most of what we call leadership, personal development, and “high performance” training didn’t come from wisdom.
It came from war.
The earliest and most influential leadership frameworks in the Western world trace straight back to Sun Tzu: a military strategist whose entire philosophy was built on domination, deception, hierarchy, and control.
The goal? Win. Efficiently. At any cost.
And even when modern coaching emerged centuries later, pioneers like Timothy Gallwey were still pushing against the same mindset: the old, masculine-coded belief that success comes from trying harder, pushing harder, overriding harder.
No matter how inclusive the industry claims to be today, its roots are unmistakable.
Leadership as we’ve inherited it was built inside patriarchal systems: designed around male physiology, male hormones, and male models of power.
And yes, if women apply these strategies, we can get results.
But we also get outcomes no one warned us about.
Burnout.
Exhaustion.
Disconnection from purpose.
A nervous system in a perpetual state of override.
Because here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Women are being taught to lead using frameworks that were never designed for our bodies, our rhythms, or our ways of knowing.
We’re told to dominate when our power comes from connection.
To push harder when our wisdom comes from listening.
To override ourselves in systems that reward depletion.
No wonder so many brilliant women end up feeling like the price of success is losing themselves.
We need a different approach. One that’s human, embodied, relational, and aligned with the female nervous system.
Not just for women, but for humans. Indeed, for the world.
And that’s exactly what we teach at One of many.
If you want to understand why the traditional model burns women out, and what a truth-led, regenerative, Soft Power approach to leadership looks like- join me for Elevate.
In this free, live, 3-hour workshop, we’ll reveal the paradigm you’ve been operating inside without even realising it. Show you why it was never built for you.
And give you practical tools you can use immediately to lead in a way your body, your relationships, and your purpose can actually sustain.
Then, equip you with skills to do the same for the people you work with.
If you’re ready to stop contorting yourself to fit a system designed for someone else, and to discover your own aligned, powerful way forward, this is your first step.
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Author of the Amazon best-selling book, Superwoman: Escaping the Myth, she has explored the hidden pressures women face in leadership and offers a roadmap to sustainable success without burnout.
As the founder of One of many, a global community supporting women in leadership, she is committed to equipping leaders with the tools they need to create sustainable impact, without compromising well-being. Her work integrates neuroscience, behavioural psychology, and emotional intelligence to help individuals lead with confidence and authenticity.
Dr. Joanna's insights have been featured in major media outlets, and she is a renowned speaker on leadership, resilience, and high-performance coaching. When she’s not speaking or coaching, Dr. Joanna enjoys exploring new research in human potential, spending time with her family, and championing initiatives that support women in leadership worldwide.
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