When I walk into a boardroom, I can feel the pause.
It’s subtle — a flicker of surprise, a recalibration.
There have been many times when I was the featured speaker and no one even noticed when I entered the room. How can someone so large become instantly invisible in a crowded room?
Society has fed us a very narrow sketch of what a “leader” looks like: tall, lean, polished in the ways of power suits and privilege. But real leadership? It doesn’t live in bone structure or dress size. It lives in the fire of resilience, the depth of empathy, the wisdom forged through a lifetime of rising when the world thought we should shrink. It’s trading invisibility for iridescence and brilliantly letting our radiance shine.
Redefining What Leadership Looks Like
Plus-size women carry stories that are heavy with grit and glitter. We’ve navigated judgment in public spaces, bias in the workplace, and the constant hum of cultural messaging that said, “Not you. Not like this.” And still — we rise.
We lead with empathy because we know what it feels like to be underestimated.
We lead with resilience because we’ve carried the weight of both our bodies and others’ projections.
We lead with wisdom because we’ve had to unlearn the lie that worth is measured in pounds.
The Quiet Expectations We Shatter
There’s always that quiet expectation hovering in the background: leaders should be thin, sleek, a certain “type.” But every time a plus-size woman takes the mic, commands a room, or makes a decision that changes the course of a business, a community, or a life — those expectations crumble a little more.
Leadership wears many faces. And yes, it wears this body too.
Dismantling Bias — Inside and Out
Of course, the heaviest bias isn’t always external. Sometimes it’s the whisper inside our own heads, echoing society’s noise: “Who am I to lead like this?” That’s where self-love and radical acceptance become revolutionary acts. When we choose visibility — not hiding in the back row, not muting our voices, not apologizing for existing — we’re dismantling bias at its roots.
A Permission Slip Wrapped in a War Cry
So, if you need it today, here it is:
You have permission to lead exactly as you are.
Your body does not disqualify you — it equips you.
And if you want a practice to anchor that truth, try this:
Self-Leadership Exercise
Because you are not just “leading with a body they didn’t expect;” you are leading with a body that is rewriting what leadership looks like for everyone who comes after you.
