Design the Role You Want

The women featured in McKinsey’s Inner Game of Women CEOs didn’t just climb the ladder. They redesigned it.

They knew early on that most leadership paths weren’t built with them in mind. So they stopped trying to fit into roles that required them to perform, contort, or disconnect — and started crafting leadership identities that matched who they actually were.

That shift is the real story.

It’s not just about breaking glass ceilings. It’s about choosing not to climb a ladder that leads to burnout, invisibility, or misalignment. Because what’s the point of getting to the top if the role you’re in erases the very things that made you powerful?

I see this every day in my work with women navigating high-stakes leadership across industries. They’re in impressive roles. On paper, everything looks right. But in reality, they feel boxed in. Exhausted. Misunderstood. Respected, but not fully seen.

Not because they’re ungrateful. But because the role they’re in doesn’t reflect the leader they’ve become.

If that’s you, here’s the truth: You don’t need to quit . You need to design your role intentionally, not just inherit the one you were given.

That’s the difference between occupying a seat… and owning it.

We’ve been taught that power is about navigating what’s already there, reading the room, surviving the politics, and playing the game . But true power — sustainable power — comes from rewriting the rules when the game doesn’t fit anymore.

That’s what the women in the McKinsey study did. And it’s what you can do too.

Designing the role you want starts with asking: What am I no longer willing to compromise on to succeed?

That’s where the redesign begins.

For some, it’s time. The pace they’ve been operating at isn’t aligned with their energy or personal priorities — but they’ve been afraid to slow down for fear of being perceived as “less committed.”

For others, it’s voice. They’ve led entire functions but haven’t felt safe enough to bring their full opinion into the room without filtering.

For many, it’s visibility. They’ve accepted back-channel influence when what they actually want is public leadership and recognition — but they don’t want to fight for it.

The truth is, most leadership roles were not designed for women navigating multiple cultures, expectations, and layers of responsibility—inside and outside the workplace.

So if the role doesn’t fit, that doesn’t mean you’re wrong for it. It’s time to evolve it.

Designing your role doesn’t always mean leaving your company or pivoting to something brand new. Sometimes it means reworking how you spend your time—rebuilding your calendar around your zone of impact. Saying no to visibility that doesn’t serve your goals.Saying yes to work that lights you up — even if it isn’t “urgent.”Rethinking who gets access to your energy, and how often.

You’re not asking for too much. You’re asking to lead in a way that doesn’t cost you your clarity or your health. You’re asking for alignment — and that is not a luxury. It’s a strategic advantage.

When women design roles that reflect their whole selves, they don’t just perform better, they lead better. They make decisions from clarity, not reactivity. They mentor without burnout. They create cultures where others can lead as themselves, too.

And it starts by dropping the guilt.

You don’t owe your leadership to anyone’s version of “what it’s supposed to look like.”You owe it to yourself to make it sustainable. Authentic. Alive.

It’s not selfish. It’s strategic.

So if your current seat feels off, don’t wait for someone else to fix it. Redesign it.

Ask for what you need. Adjust what no longer fits .Reclaim what you gave away to prove you belonged.

This is what authentic leadership looks like. Not silent suffering at the top. Not checking all the boxes. Not surviving the role you worked so hard to get.

It’s creating the one that honors your power, your pace, and your purpose.

Let’s make that your next bold move.

Full Article: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-inner-game-of-women-ceos