The 'Inner Glass Ceiling'

Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you try or how much time you spend reflecting and striving to make progress in your career or life in general, you always end up in the same spot? It's as if there's an invisible barrier, like a glass ceiling, holding back your potential. For example, you consistently put in extra effort at work, but your achievements seem to go unnoticed while witnessing others being promoted ahead of you? Or you work really hard to improve your relationship with a loved one, or someone at work, just to end up feeling unseen or unheard, over and over again.

If this resonates, there's a high chance that the real block lies within you. Inner barriers, often the most critical yet least discussed obstacles women face, are limiting beliefs about their capabilities and potential. These barriers form an 'inner glass ceiling' operating at a subconscious level and impeding your progress. 

I first came across this concept during my training with Dr. Claire Zammit, a champion of women's empowerment and the founder of the Institute for Woman-Centred Coaching, Training, and Leadership. As a student of Dr. Zammit, I broke through my own inner glass ceiling and experienced transformative growth in many areas of my life, solidifying my belief in this work.

According to Dr Zammit, the primary barrier for women at the level of self-actualisation is their "inner glass ceiling - a system of limiting beliefs or old stories that exist at the level of identity. It is the sense of "who" we believe we are that shapes our experience and influences expectations, behaviours, choices, and decisions. It serves as a filter through which we interpret and respond to experiences in our lives.

Biologists have highlighted that 80% of our experience of situations and life is influenced by the information stored in our brains, with only 20% derived from external circumstances. This underscores the existence of a filter, an identity, and an underlying self-sense that have been shaped throughout our lives, particularly during our formative years when our capacity to make meaning was limited.

These barriers play a crucial role in shaping our experiences and responses to challenges in the workplace and life. We often find ourselves trapped in self-reinforcing patterns, viewing the world through a limited perspective that perpetuates itself.

The inner dialogue that emerges at 3am before a crucial presentation, the critical voice that surfaces when receiving feedback (or lack thereof) on your work, or the avoidance of addressing underperformance in a staff member to avoid conflict - these are all examples of the inner workings of our minds.

Many of us, often attribute our struggles in the workplace to well-known phenomena like Impostor Syndrome or people-pleasing tendencies. However, inner barriers extend beyond these commonly recognised feelings.

Drawing from my experience working with female leaders, I have noticed key patterns that specifically hinder women's progress in professional settings. These include feelings of invisibility, where their contributions and presence go unnoticed or undervalued. Many women also struggle with a sense of inadequacy, believing they are not enough or that their worth is diminished. They may experience a sense of isolation, feeling alone and lacking support or recognition.

Feelings of powerlessness and lack of safety can also be pervasive, causing women to question their abilities and hesitate to assert themselves. Moreover, feelings of being "too much" or "wrong" can lead to self-doubt and inhibit women from fully expressing themselves. They may grapple with a deep, subconscious sense of unworthiness and inferiority, impacting their confidence and decision-making.

Breaking free from these patterns is challenging because they are both invisible and intertwined with our identity. We perceive them as external forces acting upon us rather than recognising our role in their manifestation.

These barriers are not unique to women however the primary difference lies in how each gender handles these barriers. I have seen more women living a minimised life and playing small because of these inner blocks. One of the reasons I am so drawn to this work, is because there are few companies and organisations that are responding specifically to women’s needs for solutions, training, products, or services that are designed to specifically meet these new challenges and opportunities.