Unapologetic Authenticity: Why Women Leaders Need a Dedicated Space to Thrive

The Authenticity Dilemma

According to Herminia Ibarra’s work on the Authenticity Paradox, leaders today struggle with authenticity for several interconnected reasons:

Leaders often face a fundamental tension between remaining true to themselves and adapting to new leadership roles that require behaviors outside their comfort zone. Many leaders interpret authenticity as maintaining consistency with their past selves or natural tendencies, which can become a constraint when leadership demands evolution and growth.

For women executives, this challenge intensifies in several ways:

1. Navigating contradictory expectations – Women leaders often walk a tightrope between traditionally “masculine” leadership traits (assertiveness, decisiveness) and “feminine” qualities (empathy, collaboration). It’s like being asked to simultaneously play chess and checkers on the same board, following different rules.
2. Facing a narrower band of acceptable behavior – When women receive feedback that they’re “too aggressive” or “not assertive enough,” they’re essentially being asked to thread a needle in dim light—a precision challenge their male counterparts rarely face to the same degree.
3. Operating under heightened scrutiny – Women executives experience greater attention to their leadership style, appearance, and communication. This visibility makes experimenting with new behaviors feel like practicing a new skill on stage rather than in private.
   Leading without abundant role models – Many women in senior positions lack examples of how to authentically integrate different aspects of identity. The path becomes more like exploring uncharted territory without a map.

For Forward-Thinking Organizations

If you lead talent development or human resources, consider this retreat as a strategic investment in your female leadership pipeline. Several organizations have incorporated this experience into their executive development programs, with measurable improvements in resilience, strategic clarity, and renewed commitment. Like strengthening the roots of a tree to ensure its growth, supporting your women leaders’ well-being directly enhances organizational vitality.

Restore & Revive Immersion: A Path Back to Yourself – 3rd Edition

In the whirlwind of executive responsibilities, many leaders have normalized postponing their own well-being. Like continuously withdrawing from a bank account without making deposits.  As I’ve observed while working with so many of you in our resilience and purpose workshops, this constant postponement comes at a price: chronic stress, silent exhaustion, and a gradual disconnection from what truly moves us.

An Immersion with History and Excellence

I’m proud to announce the 3rd edition of our “Restore and Revive” immersion. From May 14th to 19th in Lanzarote, a select group of women leaders will embark on this transformative journey, refined through previous editions.

I’m joined by exceptional co-facilitators—professional women with over 30 years of combined experience in leadership well-being. Together, we’ve designed a comprehensive program integrating diverse approaches for holistic transformation.

More Than a Well-being Retreat, a Transformation

This six-day experience offers:

• Renewed purpose: Our signature “Carving Your Purpose” workshop helps you rediscover your true north
• Work-life integration mastery: Strategies to harmonize professional demands with personal fulfillment, replacing the outdated concept of “balance” with sustainable integration
• Transformative habit integration: Converting limiting patterns into allies for well-being and leadership
• Mind-body reconnection: Including Tapping and RPR therapies many participants have experienced in previous workshops
• Hypnosis group therapy: Facilitated sessions to access and reprogram subconscious patterns that may be limiting your leadership potential
• Individual massage therapy: Personalized bodywork sessions to release physical tension and promote deep relaxation
• Emotional release: Through Tibetan singing bowl sessions and biodanza to dissolve deep blockages, plus root-cause exercises that uncover the emotional origins of physical pain—revealing how your body often speaks what your mind cannot express

An Inspiring Environment

All activities take place in an exclusive setting with premium accommodations and private chef. The experience includes private transportation to five iconic locations across Lanzarote, where the island’s extraordinary landscape serves as both backdrop and metaphor for personal transformation. Like the volcanic terrain that has been reshaped into something beautiful and enduring, participants discover their own capacity for resilience and renewal.

Limited Spaces

To ensure an intimate and personalized experience, each edition is limited to a small group. Currently, only 6 spaces remain for this May immersion. Previous editions filled quickly, so I encourage you to reserve your place soon if this resonates with you.

IMPORTANT NOTE

This edition is specifically designed for Spanish-speaking women. If you speak only English, please contact me directly for information about future English immersions.

Are you navigating transition, change, or simply need to recalibrate your center? This immersion could be the inflection point you’re seeking.