Reclaiming the Fire in Your Belly: A Practical Guide for Women Leaders to Navigate Overwhelm

By Audrey McGuckin

Being a great female leader is harder than ever. In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly three million women left the U.S. workforce. Women face unique career challenges that include lacking confidence, playing small, working harder for less pay, and failing to strategize. Combined with social pressures, systemic issues, and family life, these hurdles are causing higher rates of burnout than ever before.
Reclaiming the Fire in Your Belly is a guide to strategically rekindle a powerful sense of ambition and strong determination to succeed. McGuckin's unique approach for women leaders
• reveals the biggest roadblock holding women back
• illuminates and eliminates old ideas
• helps uncover the landmines that often hamper career progression
• identifies the best path forward

By distilling thirty years' worth of consulting wisdom, corporate experience, and practical knowledge, McGuckin provides readers with clear recommendations, actionable and strategic advice to maximize career momentum, and solutions that are tangible, executable, and innovative.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 9, 2024
• ISBN: 9798988049913

Audrey McGuckin

Audrey McGuckin is the founder of Women On Their Way, a premier leadership development program designed to improve and accelerate women's advancement. Her organization takes both bottom-up and top-down approaches to cultivate female leadership and help individuals identify their ambitions and improve their capabilities. With the World Economic Forum estimating it could take as long as 131 years to close the gender gap, McGuckin's big dream is to shave fifty years from that timeline by creating space for women leaders to talk about what has their attention. Her clients count on her honest appraisal, deep expertise, and encouraging guidance to help them make the right decisions.

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A helpful and easy-to-read resource that is loaded with intelligent habits you can use to rekindle a sense of ambition and determination to succeed. It’s not just for women!

—Amy C. Edmondson,

Novartis Professor of Leadership, Harvard Business School; Author, Right Kind of Wrong

Here is a superb resource for any woman leader who has been trying to do it all and is finally ready to put herself first! A great book filled with candid, practical advice to help leaders grow and fulfill their potential.

—Danielle Clark,

Vice President of Talent, eBay

"I’ve had the privilege to work with and mentor a number of outstanding women leaders. Many of them have utilized the lessons captured in Reclaiming the Fire in Your Belly to reframe their mindset, gain clarity on their purpose, and truly thrive in our organization. Highly recommend!"

—Robert Rajalingam,

President of U.S. Medical Products and Distribution,

Cardinal Health

This book is a game changer for women leaders. Unlock your potential, gain clarity on your purpose, and finally achieve your biggest dream with this transformative read.

—Sangeetha Rai,

Vice President of Customer Care, Northwestern Mutual

Audrey presents some of the most effective strategies I’ve encountered to gain clarity about your purpose.

—Jessica Fulton,

Data and AI Director Specialist, Microsoft

"Reframing our mindset is not an easy journey. It takes courage to be vulnerable. But the hardest part is getting started, and Reclaiming the Fire in Your Belly makes the first step easy. This book rekindles your spark if you have been on the journey for a long time. If you are just starting, take advantage of the insights now!"

—Jane Pleasants,

Executive Director, SMI

Building on her extensive experience as a chief talent officer and sought-after consultant, Audrey McGuckin has delivered a practical and insightful guide for women leading teams and organizations today. She identifies the challenges clearly and offers sound advice for how women can thrive as leaders.

—Michael A. Roberto,

Trustee Professor of Management, Bryant University

Having collaborated closely with Audrey McGuckin, I’ve witnessed firsthand the profound impact of her incredible gifts in helping women pivot toward a more fulfilling life. McGuckin’s expertise shines through in her ability to translate these insights into a tangible and accessible guide. The book doesn’t just offer advice; it presents a comprehensive strategy to empower women, offering practical steps to overcome obstacles that often hold them back.

—Gayle Guyardo,

Host, Bloom

A must-read for any woman leader who wants to realize her big dream but has been stuck in the process. Audrey shares her secrets for optimum clarity and performance.

—Debra Delise,

Vice President, Analog Devices

This publication is protected under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state, and local laws, and all rights are reserved, including resale rights.

Please note that much of this publication is based on personal experience and anecdotal evidence. Although the author and publisher have made every reasonable attempt to achieve complete accuracy of the content in this guide, they assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Also, you should use this information as you see fit, and at your own risk. Your particular situation may not be exactly suited to the examples illustrated here; you should adjust your use of the information and recommendations accordingly. The contents are meant to inform the reader. Nothing in this book should replace common sense, legal counsel, or other professional advice.

Copyright © 2024 The McGuckin Group

All rights reserved.

Editorial Project Management: Karen Rowe, www.karenrowe.com

Cover Design: Angela Hammersmith, www.hammersmithgraphics.com

Interior Layout: Ljiljana Pavkov, www.bookwormsdesign.com

Printed in the United States.

ISBN: 979-8-9880499-0-6 (paperback)

ISBN: 979-8-9880499-1-3 (digital)

ISBN: 979-8-9880499-2-0 (hardcover)

To Mum,

for raising me to be a warrior.

You are not able to see the fruits of your labor,

but I know you will feel them.

This is your world.

Shape it or someone else will.

—Gary Lew

Advance Praise

Introduction

Chapter 1: Mindsets That Hold Women Back

Chapter 2: Finding Your Personal Authentic Leadership

Chapter 3: Maximizing Career Momentum

Chapter 4: Developing Keen Self-Awareness and Self-Monitoring

Chapter 5: Working Hard and Being Strategic

Chapter 6: Building and Leveraging Your Network

Chapter 7: Overcoming Impostor Syndrome

Chapter 8: Developing a Personal Brand

Chapter 9: Recognizing and Managing Burnout

Chapter 10: Navigate Your Journey to Thriving

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

About the Author

I have to deliver that keynote speech.

It was the only thought in my mind as I boarded the flight from Tampa, Florida, to Raleigh, North Carolina, in January 2020. The pain was secondary. I will not disappoint my client. There were a hundred people at the event; I couldn’t cancel on such short notice, and nobody else could fill in for me—they were coming to see my keynote!

I never imagined I’d have to be carried from my seat to a wheelchair by emergency services just to get off the plane. The pain had come on suddenly a few weeks earlier. I simply woke up one morning and couldn’t move. The pain level was a nine out of ten, originating in my back and shooting down my leg. My husband took me to the emergency room, where I was diagnosed with sciatica.

I’m sorry, but there is nothing we can do, the doctor told me. I’m from Scotland; I had been living in the U.S. for over twenty years, but I still didn’t know how to navigate the U.S. healthcare system because I had never been sick. I didn’t even have a primary care doctor because I’d never needed one. Until that morning a few weeks earlier, I had never even been admitted to a hospital.

Instead of getting the treatment I needed after the diagnosis, I lay in bed with my laptop in front of me, taking calls from clients. My team was doing a lot of the heavy lifting, but I still had a business to run. I still had a keynote speech to deliver.

I cried from the pain as I was assisted off the plane and taken to my hotel room. My talk was scheduled for that afternoon. Lying on the bathroom floor, I pleaded for the strength to get up and go do this task. This is just a moment in time, I told myself. If I can just get through this keynote, I’ll be good.

I think adrenaline took over…and the painkillers I’d taken. Somehow, I found enough internal drive to stand, lean against the podium, and give a one-hour keynote. It wasn’t my best performance, but I survived.

Rather than resting and spending the night at the hotel, I immediately boarded a flight back to Tampa. I just wanted to get home. As soon as the pilot turned off the seat-belt sign, I stood up. Sitting the whole way to Raleigh—even though it was only an hour-long flight—is what had pushed me over the edge. This time, I will only sit when I have to, I thought.

It wasn’t until I made it back home that I had a moment of truth: It was really stupid of me to put a client before my health. In the past, perseverance had always gotten me where I’d wanted to go. I had a strong internal locus of control; I believed in myself and my ability to get things done. It was a good quality…most of the time. The problem is, we can’t control all the events in our lives. Now, I clearly realized there was a line—and I had crossed it.

Two weeks later, when my personal trainer saw me lying on the floor, crying in pain, I learned I had other medical options. We have to get you to a chiropractor and then an orthopedic doctor so you can have X-rays done, she said. From there, I started navigating the healthcare system and getting the treatment I needed.

Sciatica kept me down physically and emotionally for about eight weeks. During my time in bed, I reflected on my mother-in-law’s saying: You are rich when you’ve got your health. I hadn’t appreciated the significance of that statement until that moment. Health is delicate, and it can bring you down at any moment. I started making changes. I was working out every day before the diagnosis, but on my trainer’s recommendation, I introduced physical therapy to strengthen my back. I found a chiropractor. Now, I know health really is everything.

Still, I was focused only on my physical health. I gained my physical mobility back over time, but then COVID-19 and the first wave of lockdowns hit in March, which took an emotional toll on me. During the pandemic, my mom was diagnosed with dementia. She lived in Scotland, and the borders were closed. For over a year, I couldn’t get to her. Given our close relationship, it felt crushing to be simultaneously separated from her and losing her.

Finally, in July 2021, I was able to travel to Scotland and be with my mom. I was at her house, thinking I was at my rope’s end, when I got a call at 3 a.m. from my daughter. She needed my help. She was subsequently diagnosed with depression. How much more can I take? I wondered. It felt like my world was falling down around me.

It genuinely seemed like I was losing my mind; all the stress was starting to cause brain fog, which was not only inconvenient but also a threat to my career. In my business—the McGuckin Group, a talent design innovation firm—we work with CEOs, who typically have high cognitive capacity. This means when we engage with our clients, we also need to have high cognitive capacity. I went to an alternative medicine doctor to help me address the brain fog, which I believed might stem from menopause. They had me fill out an industry-wide assessment scale, then came back and said, You’re severely depressed. Nobody in my family knew. I didn’t know. I didn’t realize depression had physical symptoms. It was breaking news to me. Although I had felt the physical effects of depression, I did what most women do: I just kept going. By the time I realized how bad it was, I was lying on the floor, suffering from joint pain and physically debilitated.

One of my symptoms was imbalance, so I went to my ear, nose, and throat doctor. We were sitting in the exam room when he asked, How are you doing? I broke down and said, I’m not great. He removed his stethoscope and said, We’re going to get you help. I’m going to text my friend who’s a psychiatrist. He’s the best in the industry. I sat there as he texted his friend and waited for the reply. He wants to talk to you at four o’clock.

I accepted the appointment, and we began working together, doing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Meanwhile, I made sure not to compromise on my workouts. I checked in with myself: How do I make sure I think about myself before my daughter? How do I make sure I think about myself before my mom? How do I make sure I think about myself before my business? Those were all very hard things for me to do. However, over time, I started developing a schema—codifying general rules for navigating the overwhelm and remembering to take care of myself first.

I knew I was not alone. Having worked with thousands of leaders over my career, I’ve observed that women leaders often prioritize others before themselves. Most of the time, women put themselves second, third, or even dead last—after their work, their husbands, their kids, their friends, their pets, and even their neighbors. It’s difficult for them to make the mindset shift to center their own nonnegotiable needs.

Putting yourself first means considering your own emotional, physical, relational, and financial health before committing energy to helping others. At the end of 2021, I took that schema and turned it into a keynote that I began delivering to women leaders. Every single time, at least five or six women in the room would cry and say, I have a story to share. I realized I was onto something big.

Women On Their Way

In 2018, I’d left the large multinational manufacturing services company where I had worked for twenty-five years so that I could found the McGuckin Group. We develop leaders through executive coaching, executive assessments, and strategic talent planning at the organizational level.

At the end of 2021, the company took a two-week break between Christmas and New Year’s. I bought some poster boards and post-it notes and created space for myself to envision what could be possible for the upcoming year. Reflecting on the work we were doing with CEOs across various organizations, it struck me that I was always working with men. That’s not a coincidence: as of 2023, only 10.4 percent of CEOs are women,¹ and in 2020, less than 29 percent of managers were women, despite being 50 percent of the population.²

That’s when I had an epiphany. This is my purpose. This is why I’ve been put on the planet: to accelerate women’s advancement. In those two weeks, I realized we needed to set up a second company, which would be called Women On Their Way (WOTW).

In January 2022, that’s what we did. Women On Their Way was designed by women for women across all levels (not just the C-suite), with a specific focus on how to navigate the system inside an organization. As we designed the product, we brought women leaders into our process, asked them what they needed, learned what would help them, and incorporated this feedback into our work. The World Economic Forum says it could take as long as 131 years to close the gender gap.³ Our mission is to close the