From Pressure to Presence: What I Learned About Leadership at Oxford Course
This spring, I stepped into something I had long wanted but did not know I needed, a spaceto reflect, reframe and reconnect with myself as a leader. The Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme gave me language for instincts I relied on for years, clarity on where I want to grow and a powerful sense of community with brilliant women leaders from across the world.
Leadership is Not Just an Execution
I have spent much of my career in fast-paced, high-stakes environments, leading communications teams, planning events across continents and navigating politically sensitive terrain. I have always taken pride in being calm under pressure, in delivering under tight deadline, and in making complex things work smoothly. But I did not fully appreciate that this was leadership and not just execution.
Naming What I Do
The course helped me name what I have done instinctively for years: I build trust; I coach informally, lead with emotional intelligence. These were leadership traitsI had never named as such and not soft skills or add-ons.
I also had to confront what I have been avoiding: strategic planning, systems thinking, long-view framing. One of my tutors reframed this for me not as a deficit, but as a fragile strength, something I could grow if I gave it attention. That subtle shift in language removed my self-judgment and opened space for real development.
Embracing the Tensions of Leadership
One of the most impactful moments came through the Three Horizons Framework, which helped me make sense of the internal tension I often feel: between being a visionary and being a doer; between shaping the future and managing the now. The framework showed me I do not have to choose, I can train the muscle for both.
It also helped me realize that leadership is about presence. It is about holding space when things are unclear. It is about generosity, especially in moments of pressure and the ability to recover well and show up again, better.
Why Do So Many Women Feel They Are Not Enough?
One of the most surprising and heartening aspects of the course was how universal our inner doubts were. I met an extraordinary group of women from all over the world, from tech, finance, international development, entrepreneurship. Each of us came with a nagging voice inside: “Am I really a leader? Do I even belong here?”
Despite our professional achievements, we were all carrying some version of imposter syndrome, that persistent sense of being not quite enough. I have since realized how deeply socialized this is in women. Across cultures and careers, we are taught to downplay, defer or doubt. Even when we lead, we question whether we should be.
But something beautiful happened over the weeks. We started to hear each other’s voices. Recognize our shared struggles. Validate each other’s experiences. And slowly, we began to shift, from questioning ourselves to owning our space. From internal critics to internal clarity.
What I Take With Me
As I close this chapter, I leave the programme with a deeper understanding of who I am as a leader, not just what I do well, but what I stand for. I now see more clearly the values that shape my leadership and the spaces in which I naturally thrive. At the same time, I have become more attuned to the areas I want to grow into: cultivating strategic thinking, building systems literacy, deepening financial fluency and strengthening my skills in diplomacy and technology.
I also renewed my commitment to show up not only with competence, but with presence, to lead in a way that is grounded, generous and true.
I am no longer “just” a communicator. I am a coach, a strategic voice, a convener, a leader-in-progress and someone who is building new horizons for myself and others.
Most meaningfully, I leave with a powerful sense of belonging to a phenomenal network of women leaders brilliant, brave and generous, whom I admire and now call my peers. Together we formed a lasting compass.
To my tutors and to every woman in my cohort: thank you for helping me see what was always there.
