Leading Ourselves in a World Yet to Be Defined: Self-Leadership for Women in AI

By Sadie Wackett, Empowering People-Centered Leadership | C-Suite HR Executive | Executive & Leadership Coach | Leadership & Culture Strategist | Self-Leadership Speaker & Virtual Panelist

The world of artificial intelligence (AI) is still being shaped, systems are being built, standards are still forming, and influence is being established. But even in its infancy, one truth is already clear: the voices shaping AI today will have profound impact on the world we live in tomorrow. And yet, women, especially women from underrepresented backgrounds, remain on the margins of this revolution.

Despite the potential for AI to serve all of humanity, too few of us are sitting at the table where decisions are being made. And often, we’re navigating systems we didn’t design, in spaces that weren’t built with us in mind.

To offer some context, in 2025, AI is expected to contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy, while women represent less than 22% of AI talent globally, according to Forbes. Only 22% of AI professionals are women, indicating a critical gender gap that impacts decision-making in technology. And women make up only 18% of AI researchers globally, emphasizing a significant gender gap in the field.

Additionally, Women are 16 percent less likely than men to use AI tools in the workplace, contributing to ongoing systemic barriers.

But… just because the world hasn’t yet made space for us doesn’t mean we can’t take the lead.

This article will shine a light on the ways in which women, while maneuvering through an emergent field, can take steps to create the future they want to experience.

We Can’t Always Control the System, But We Can Lead Ourselves

There’s a powerful shift happening. Women are no longer waiting for permission, titles, or perfectly laid paths. Instead, we’re turning inward, reclaiming agency, and choosing to lead from within.

I call this self-leadership: the daily practice of making intentional choices aligned with your truth, even when the path isn’t clear, especially when it isn’t. When we know ourselves, we can find the courage to say:

● “This doesn’t reflect who I am. I’ll do it differently.”

● “I don’t see anyone else doing this yet, maybe I’m here to go first.”

● “I can’t change the whole system today, but I can start by changing how I show up in it.”

Self-leadership is the foundation of all meaningful change, and in a field as emergent and influential as AI, it’s never been more essential.

What Is Self-Leadership, Really?

The key to Self-Leadership is, in fact, Self Awareness. It’s a vital life skill typically not taught in the critical formative years at school, thereby requiring us as adults to build an intentional approach to our own growth and development.

With curiosity and intention, our self-leadership develops over time with deliberate choice and practice and it’s this inner work that enables us to approach our lives with:

● Clarity, knowing who you are, what you believe, and what matters most

● Agency, the ability to make conscious, aligned choices

● Courage to speak up, step out, or challenge the status quo

● Compassion, meeting yourself with grace in a world that often demands more

If these capabilities are not developed in our earlier life, we now need to build them - decision by decision, boundary by boundary, moment by moment.

How Do I Cultivate Self-Leadership?

Getting radically honest with yourself is the first step to cultivating essential self-awareness: What do I value? What energizes me? What feels out of alignment? What have I been told to believe, and what do I want to believe now?

Answering these questions can increase our Clarity about who we are, what we want, who we want to surround ourselves with, what impact we want to make in the world etc.

From this place of inner awareness and insight, we can start to take steps that are intentional, aligned with and focused on our chosen priorities. Creating our own direction gives us a sense of Agency, where we feel empowered to give ourselves the permission we have long been seeking from others, to make intentional choices about the actions and steps we want to take.

In strengthening our emotional awareness and capability, we can develop the Courage to take steps we may have never thought possible.

Foundational to this is the ability to embrace failure as a critical stepping-stone to success. We can shift from identifying failure as shameful, or unworthy, and see it as a key component to our growth. We become resilient in coping with the uncomfortable feelings that come from ‘failing’ and use them as important data points that provide us with opportunities to rise.

Lastly, developing a sense of Self-Compassion – which may be a capability we aren’t familiar with -is an essential, even transformational, part of the process. Offering yourself grace and kindness (as you would a good friend) while moving through challenges can allow you to access a higher level of energy and self-belief - without which, we remain destined to succumb to the demands placed on us by others.

From this place of “Self-Leadership”, we can build habits of reflection, intention, and courageous action, through small (although not always easy) consistent steps.

● Carve out space to reflect (journaling, walking, or simply pausing to ask, “Is this decision coming from fear or alignment?” )

● Set boundaries that protect your energy.

● Choose growth over perfection.

● Learn to listen to your inner voice before external noise.

● Surround yourself with people who reflect back your strength and hold space for your evolution.

Self-leadership is cultivated in micro-moments, which may involve pausing before saying “yes” to something that doesn’t feel right or deciding to close the laptop when you need rest, even if the job isn’t finished.

One example, which didn’t come easily for me, is asking for help. I began to allow others to assist me in small ways—such as a school drop-off, a chat, or simply taking an hour for myself. Granting myself permission to prioritize self-care helped me shift from feeling selfish to recognizing that I could give myself grace, which ultimately felt worthwhile.

Although no one may see these moments, over time, they become the scaffolding of a life and career led with purpose.

Why It Matters in AI

AI is already starting to shape how we live, work, connect, learn, and make decisions. That means it needs to reflect the full spectrum of humanity and not just the male dominated perspective.

When women are equipped with the skills and capacity to lead themselves first, they are resilient, powerful and bring a different kind of intelligence into the room including:

● Emotional intelligence & resilience

● Ethical foresight

● Lived experience

● Intuitive decision-making

● A deep sense of responsibility to community and care

These simply aren’t “soft” skills. They’re the exact leadership qualities needed to create technology that serves life, not just scale. But in order to bring them into the world of AI, we have to start by cultivating them within ourselves.

If The Path Doesn’t Exist, Create It

Many of us are building careers and businesses at the edge of what’s ever been done before. So, what do we do when there is no map, or blueprint? We tap into the deep knowing that more is possible, and that we’re the ones to shape it.

When we as women embrace self-leadership collectively, it can become revolutionary. It cultivates the capacity for self-belief, courage and confidence to pursue roles where you might be the “only one” advocating for something when the room doesn’t want to listen or starting projects no one either understands or sees the value in (yet). It provides us the opportunity to integrate our personal values into professional missions, and to speak up when something doesn’t feel aligned - even if it’s against the norm or a pre-defined “industry standard.”

Your voice matters and your vision matters. Your impact in defining AI is not only valid, it’s vital.

Leading Yourself Is Leading the Future

You can wait for the system to catch up and follow the map that someone else has drawn. Or you can give yourself permission to lead, now. In your own way and on your own terms. Yes, there will be resistance, obstacles and walls, but with a strong internal compass – and in community with other women marching in the same direction - you can create more than you realize is possible.

The future isn’t written yet. And self-led women are the ones who will shape it with integrity, courage, and care.

Join the Movement

Whether you’re building AI, exploring it, or questioning where you fit in, start with you. Because when women lead themselves, the world follows.

And if you're looking for support, community, and a place to grow into that leadership, you are not alone. This is exactly why we created Life Intended, to help women live and lead in alignment with who they truly are.