In partnership with Stanford researchers, Malu studied how female leaders experience the fear of irrelevance and what truly protects against it. What we found is urgent: In a world demanding more from leaders than ever, women are being stretched across impossible roles. Many are balancing the “sandwich generation,” caring for both children and aging parents simultaneously. At the same time, younger generations are redefining what success means. The pressure is relentless, and it leaves many women asking the quiet questions: Am I doing enough? Am I still relevant?
Academically, “relevance” has been defined in terms of concepts such as obsolescence, retirement planning or career transitions. But our research showed something more human. For women, relevance is deeply tied to belonging and contribution to the sense that their presence, not just their output, still matters. Which raises the deeper, more vulnerable question: Is who I am enough?
Deloitte reports that burnout is the top reason women leave their jobs; nearly 40 percent of those seeking new roles cite it as the cause. However, burnout stems from the accumulation of layered expectations to do more, give more and deliver more at work and at home. Many leaders don’t realize how long they’ve been running on empty until the cracks appear.
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