The discussion around “breaking the glass ceiling”often focuses on the topics of external barriers, bias, systemic inequality and deep-rooted power structures for a reason. These limitations have defined the professional landscape for women for generations
But alongside these now more visible ceilings is another, quieter one. It’s the internal resistance many of us develop after years of navigating spaces that weren’t built with us in mind. Environments where we’ve had to prove our worth, fight for a place, defend our presence, and overcorrect our behavior just to be accepted and allowed to stay.
This ‘ceiling’ doesn’t come from weakness. It comes from adaptation.
It’s what happens when survival strategies become second nature. Staying silent felt safer than being misunderstood. When blending in felt wiser than standing out.
And while today’s professional spaces are evolving, more women are stepping into leadership, more conversations around equity are happening, and more seats at the table are being created, we often carry the remnants of how we had to adapt historically with us into professional spaces to this day. We’ve spent years learning to navigate systems that didn’t always welcome us, and as a result, even when we earn our place at the table, we sometimes hesitate to fully claim it.
This is the moment for reflection.
Rather than focusing only on what the system has lacked, we can create profound, lasting change for generations to come by examining and creating an awareness of how we’ve adapted to our working conditions. When looking at the strategies women have used to fit in, I am not only amazed at the strength and adaptability that women have used to forge their place in the workforce but how, now, those strategies are coming at the cost of our authenticity and authority.
So, what are the ways we’ve learned to adapt? There are many, but here are a few that may sound familiar:
- We belittle personal victories, brushing them off as “team work” even if we led it from beginning to the very end.
- We hesitate to let our voices be heard until we’re certain of our words and can back every statement with evidence, waiting for the ideal moment to say it, only to watch somebody else say what we were thinking.
- We shrunk ourselves to be more “palatable” – adjusting out tone, our opinions and laughing off microaggressions just to be more agreeable.
- And at times, we overcompensate by becoming overly assertive or sharp-edged—believing that if we don’t speak loudly, we won’t be heard at all.
By reflecting on these adaptations with compassion, we begin the more profound work of self-discovery.
In today’s landscape, we can confront these behaviors and begin to unlearn the habits that may have given us the opportunity to be accepted in the workplace historically but now have manifested into self-limiting beliefs, behaviors, and communication habits that compromise our self-esteem. This emotional intelligence exercise raises self-awareness and helps us begin from feeling like outsiders trying to earn our place, to grounded professionals who belong—because of our abilities, our insight, and our leadership.
Think of breaking through the glass ceiling instead of professional development, where everyone has a glass ceiling of their own, and it wasn’t put there specifically for you. Through my own personal experience and the experience of the women I have worked with in the Middle East and throughout India, I can tell you personal and professional development are definitely not a straight line. It’s a journey of self-awareness and reclamation. And belonging doesn’t start when others finally see our value. It starts when we recognize it ourselves.
This work isn’t about blaming ourselves. And it’s not just about blaming the system either. It’s about honoring both truths and using that awareness to rise to the challenge. Not only by continuing to challenge the structures around us, but by courageously addressing the internal shift that allows us to fully lead, fully express, and fully take up space.
Because when we do this inner work, we’re not just breaking ceilings for ourselves.
We are not just breaking ceilings for ourselves. Breaking through the ceiling isn’t just about external recognition. It’s about doing the internal work to stop seeing our power as a liability and reshaping the floor they will stand on for our sisters and daughters.
You can begin by reflecting on and asking yourself:
What if taking up space is actually a form of generosity?
What if your presence, when it’s grounded in self-awareness and expressed with integrity, gives others permission to do the same?
This is the power of a raised emotional intelligence and a reframed growth mindset.
Are you operating from fear of being misunderstood, dismissed, or not enough?
Or are you rooted in growth, knowing that you are evolving, learning, and worthy of being seen, heard, and felt?
Because when we do this inner work, we’re not just breaking ceilings for ourselves.
We are reshaping the floor they will stand on—for our sisters, our daughters, and the women we may never meet but whose paths we quietly help clear.
Breaking through the ceiling isn’t just about external recognition or visibility. It’s about doing the deeper internal work to stop seeing our power as something to contain, defend, or downplay. It’s about reclaiming our right to be seen, to speak, and to lead—without apology.
And that starts with a shift in mindset. Ask yourself: What if taking up space is actually a form of generosity? What if your presence, rooted in strong self-awareness – becomes a call to action for other women to do the same?
Shared by: Dr. Taylor Elizabeth,
Emotional Intelligence and Etiquette Coach
