Authority: Own Your Voice Without Apologizing for It

Authority: Own Your Voice Without Apologizing for It

coaching l.e.a.d. political capital speaking up May 20, 2025

~

Authority: The Moment You Claim Your Voice

We’ve talked about Liberation - naming what’s not working.
We’ve talked about Embodiment - aligning your actions before you feel “ready.”

Now we’re at the step that most women try to start with…
But actually comes third: Authority. 

Because here’s the truth:
You can’t speak with clarity until you know what you want.
And you can’t lead powerfully if you can’t hold your own voice without flinching.

This is where leadership stops being theory, and gets bold as hell.


Owning Your Authority Doesn’t Mean Being Loud

It means being rooted.
Rooted in what you know.
Rooted in what you’ve decided.
Rooted in who you are, even when someone else raises an eyebrow.

You’ve already done the unlearning (L).
You’ve started practicing it in real time (E).

Now?
You stop hedging.
You stop shrinking.
You stop asking for permission.
And you speak.

Even if your hands shake.
Even if you’re the only one in the room who sees it clearly.
Even if you’re misunderstood.


What Authority Looks Like Inside the L.E.A.D. Framework

 

~Define YOU As a Leader

If you don’t define your own leadership, someone else will do it for you.

And spoiler alert?
They’re not building it to fit you.

So in this work, we define your leadership style, not the LinkedIn version, not the girlboss parody.
You. 

What does leadership actually feel like in your body?
How do you lead when no one’s watching?
What’s your voice when it’s not filtered through someone else’s expectations?

That’s the one we build from.

~Build Belief in Your Own Leadership

Authority is built on belief.
And belief needs receipts.

So we gather the data:

  • When have you made a decision that changed something?

  • What’s something you said that shifted the room?

  • Where do you already feel powerful?

You don’t need to perform power.
You need to remember it.

~Calculate Your Usable Power

 

Power isn’t domination, it’s discernment.
It’s knowing where you have influence, political capital… and when to use it.

Once you learn to calculate your power, you stop trying to shout your truth into rooms that don’t deserve you.
And you start speaking where it actually matters.

~Clarify Your Zones of Genius (Clarity Edition)

Where do you lead best?
What energizes you?
What’s yours to hold, and what’s not?

We don’t just make a list. We map it.
And once you see that map, you stop chasing leadership you could do…
And start owning the leadership you were built for.


Faux Authority vs. True Authority

Let me be real with you:
There was a time I looked like a leader, but I was still tiptoeing around my own authority.

I was in high-profile coaching spaces.
Speaking up in masterminds.
Holding space for others.
And still, I hadn’t fully claimed my power.

Because my authority had been granted to me by the people who ran the room.
I had faux authority. Not fake, just… conditional.

I offered ideas, but I softened them.
I hinted at different ways, but didn’t challenge the system.
I stayed inside the fishbowl someone else placed me in.

And even though I couldn’t name it then, I could feel it.

I was leading, but I didn’t feel rooted.
I was visible, but still checking the room for approval.
I sounded confident, but I hadn’t claimed the authority beneath it.

Fast forward?

When I lead now, whether it’s a client call, a board meeting, or a coaching circle, I’m not scanning for nods.
I’m scanning for alignment.

I know what I bring.
I know what I stand for.
I know how to speak it, clearly, calmly, without apology.

Even when my power isn’t on full display, I feel it humming underneath.
That’s authority.

Not performance. Not posture.
Just grounded, undeniable clarity in who you are and what you’re here to do.


The Outcome of This Step?

You stop asking for permission.
You stop diluting your voice.
You make the call, and stand by it.

Not because you have all the answers.
But because this is the kind of leader you already are.
You’re just finally claiming her.


Coming Next Week: Direction

You’ve gotten clear.
You’ve gotten brave.
You’ve spoken with authority.

 

Next week we’re talking about how to take the next best step, and keep going.
Because leadership isn’t just about what you say.
It’s about what you do next.


Lead with Authority. Without the Spiral.

That’s exactly what we do inside How to L.E.A.D. - my new beta coaching program.

6 weeks.
4 powerful steps.
For you, because you're done waiting for anyone's permission.

Just $500 for the full beta round.
Get just one thing you want in six weeks. Let's move that needle forward.

Email [email protected] to grab your spot.


Let’s Talk

  • Where in your life are you hesitating to claim your authority?
  • What’s something you’ve wanted to say, but keep waiting for “the right moment”?
  • What helps you hold your voice when people push back?

Drop a comment. Let’s open it up. You’re not the only one.