Leading with the Heart

Letting go, holding on, and holding the ladder for those who follow

There was a time when I weighed my progress against an ever-shifting scale of expectations, always looking for a sign that I was enough, chasing perfection in every meeting, every project, every moment as a professional and as a parent.

But somewhere along this journey, I learned to loosen my grip on perfection, without ever lowering my standards. That shift changed everything.

I’ve discovered power in small acts of vulnerability: asking for help, admitting when I don’t have all the answers, and letting others see my doubts as well as my dreams. Ambition no longer feels like something I need to apologise for. Instead, it’s fuel, evidence of my desire to make a difference and the courage to step forward, even when the ground feels unsteady.

Every day, I try to model something authentic and real for my children: that women can lead and love fiercely, that we can stumble and strive and show up again tomorrow, just as committed and just as human. My greatest hope is that they see in me not just a leader, but a woman who makes space for both grit and grace.

Over time, I’ve realised that success isn’t some fixed place you finally arrive at. It’s alignment—a living harmony between who I am, what I do, and what I value most deeply. The world will offer a thousand definitions of achievement, but true fulfilment comes from living those values out loud, even when it’s hard.

The juggle

There’s a quiet myth we’ve all internalised — that at some point, the juggle will end. That we’ll find the perfect system, the ideal diary structure, the right “balance,” and suddenly, everything will feel calm, smooth, and manageable.

I haven’t found that point. And if I’m honest, I no longer believe it exists.

Instead, I’ve learned that the juggle is the job, and not just at work. It’s the full, messy, human task of showing up for your career, your children, your parents, your partner, your friends, your own body — and trying to do it with love and purpose.

Career and Ambition

Working in a senior role in a Multi Academy Trust is more than a job — it’s a vocation. I want to lead with integrity. I want to make a difference. I want to leave education better than I found it.

But that drive comes with its own cost. Because when you care deeply, it’s hard to switch off. The emails creep into evenings. The strategy work spills into weekends.

And yet — I’m still ambitious. I still want more. And sometimes, that alone feels like a radical act.

It hasn’t always been easy. The path has often felt uphill, marked by long nights and the hard work that rarely receives applause. I have worked relentlessly—sometimes quietly, sometimes loudly, with a determination that has been forged through setbacks as much as successes. Each challenge has asked me to dig deeper, to find resilience where I once saw only exhaustion, and to trust that steady effort, over time, would pay its own quiet dividends.

My resilience is paying off, and is not just a shield against adversity, but a source that keeps me moving forward. My hard work is bearing fruit, not always in grand gestures, but in the confidence I carry, the relationships I build, and the sense of purpose that grounds me each day.

Holding the ladder

To be a senior woman in a competitive sector, whether in education, finance, HR or leadership, is to live in constant tension. Between drive and duty, care and career, others and self. Some days, the balance feels impossible. There are moments when ambition and guilt tangle together, when gratitude and exhaustion sit side by side. It’s messy and layered and sometimes overwhelming.

But it is also a profound privilege. We are not just managing businesses or teams, we are helping to shape futures, to open doors, to widen paths for those who will come after us.

I want my children to inherit not just my strength, but my openness. I want them to carry forward the lesson that leadership is not about standing at the top alone, but about building spaces where others belong, too. When I hold the ladder, I do it with them in mind, and with every woman who has ever doubted her right to rise and sparkle.

Living fully, leading honestly

So, if you are feeling stretched, tired, ambitious, guilty, grateful—all at once—you are not alone. You are living the complicated, beautiful, imperfect life of a woman doing her best to lead well and live fully. Our stories are not simple, nor are our journeys straight. But in our striving, our stumbling, and our rising, we create new possibilities not just for ourselves, but for everyone who comes after.

Let’s celebrate the imperfect victories and the quiet resilience. Let’s keep holding the ladder, lighting the way, and making room for others to climb, to shine, and to carry the torch forward.

That, I believe, is more than enough.

By Sarah Garner (she/her)

Deputy CEO, Unity Schools Partnership

Sarah Garner | LinkedIn