The Silent Struggle Of Women In Business: How To Break Free From Self-Doubt

Posted on August 07, 2025 by Anastasia Paruntseva, One of Thousands of Entrepreneurship Coaches on Noomii.

There’s a kind of tension that never quite leaves the room when you’re a woman in leadership, especially in industries where suits outnumber support. I’ve felt it in boardrooms across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. It’s not always loud. Sometimes, it hides behind a compliment like “You’re surprisingly professional” or “You’re different from other women.” Subtle, but sharp.

Over the last 15 years, I’ve led international teams of 100-plus people across 50 countries, worked in innovation tech, artificial intelligence (AI), software as a service (SaaS) and robotics and built businesses from scratch. And while I’ve gained expertise in operations, partnerships and expansion, the real work—the hardest work—was learning to trust my own voice in rooms that weren’t built for it.

Respect starts with you.
I’ve had bosses tell me I “earn a lot for a woman.” I’ve had investors interrupt me mid-sentence and underestimate me before I even started. I’ve also walked away from roles when the culture didn’t match my worth and built something better on my own terms.

When I founded my company, I realized something crucial: You can’t force people to value you. But you can build something so solid that they no longer get a vote.

Confidence, as I’ve learned, isn’t something you wait to earn. It’s something you choose to stand in, especially when the room doesn’t offer it.

You don’t need to be loud to be bold.
Today’s best CEOs don’t shout. They lead from clarity, purpose and balance. McKinsey calls it “embracing polarities”—being confident and humble, visionary and grounded. And let’s be honest: Women have been mastering this balancing act for generations. We just weren’t always invited to the boardroom to show it.

At one point, I was managing two countries at once—overdelivering on every metric. When I asked for a promotion, the owner told me I already earned “a lot for a woman.” That sentence sealed it. I resigned the next day. He came back with a partnership offer. But respect isn’t retroactive. If they only value you after you leave, they never really did.

Confidence is quiet, but it’s contagious.
Confidence doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it’s just showing up when you feel like an impostor, holding your ground in a room full of skeptics or launching a company without waiting for applause.

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I didn’t start my own business because I felt ready—I started it because I felt called. If you wait for external validation, you’ll wait forever. But once you believe in yourself, others do, too. That shift is subtle but seismic.

You can be empathetic and strategic.
Women often lead with relationships—it’s a strength, not a weakness. In fact, women CEOs often outperform in areas like systems thinking, relational intelligence and vision. But it’s easy to get boxed into the “team player” role while others take credit for strategy. Been there.

The pivot? Saying out loud, “I see the big picture, and I execute. I’m approachable, and I make hard calls. I care, and I lead.”

One of the smartest shifts I ever made was realizing I didn’t need to do it all to prove my worth. I needed to focus on what only I could do—and trust others with the rest.

Sport taught me everything business school didn’t.
As a proud member of the World Muay Thai Federation—yes, I punch things (strategically)—I’ve learned lessons the boardroom will never teach you. Muay Thai teaches me what the C-suite rarely talks about: how to breathe through pressure, take hits and get back up. No boardroom metaphor hits quite like an actual uppercut.

That discipline fuels my leadership. In Muay Thai, like in business, you’re never fully ready. You just step in the ring and figure it out. That’s the mindset we should be teaching: growth through impact, not perfection.

Use integration, not balance.
Let’s kill the myth of having it all. You can have what matters most—but that means choosing. A few years ago, I wrote myself a contract. It laid out exactly how I’d divide my time: some for business, some for people I love and some for myself. That document changed my life. I revisit it often.

Great leadership doesn’t require burnout. It requires boundaries. And it takes a support system that brings you back to center when your calendar forgets to.

So, what’s the real lesson?
If you’re a woman navigating leadership, here’s what I’ve learned:

• You don’t need to shout to be heard. But you do need to believe your voice matters.

• Stop waiting to feel ready. Apply anyway. Launch anyway. Pitch anyway.

• Redefine ambition as service. Purpose will get you through the hard days, not ego.

• Let your network support you. You don’t have to do this alone—and shouldn’t.

• Respect yourself first. The world will follow your lead.

This isn’t a man versus woman story. I’ve had incredible male allies, and I’ve had women doubt me, too. This is a you-versus-your-own-limits story. It’s about owning your path, redefining leadership and stepping into your power—no permission slip required.

So, stop shrinking. You’re not too much. You’re the future.

And the future is already here. Now act like it.