You're Not Unsatisfied, You're Just Uncentered
What Centered Leadership Teaches About Career Fulfillment
Let’s talk for a second about a concept called centered leadership.
Centered leadership comes from a McKinsey study on what makes high-performing leaders effective.
And it's not just strategy, ambition, or good management training.
It's a strong, grounded sense of self.
The idea is this: when you are personally well, emotionally steady, and connected to your purpose, you lead from a centered place. You create a calm, clear, and empowering environment… not only for your team, but also for yourself.
And this doesn’t just apply to CEOs or executives.
It applies to you, too.
Why Centered Leadership Creates Career Satisfaction
So, what does this have to do with your career satisfaction?
At The Bold Professional, my mission is to equip my clients and students with the tools to discern the type of career that fits their boldest dream life.
But discerning your dream career and life requires a strong sense of self… which also happens to be the exact recipe to become a centered leader.
So, let’s break this down a little bit more:
When you’re uncentered as a leader (or as a human), things just feel ‘off’…
Even if everything looks good on paper.
Some signs include:
Constant second-guessing your decisions
Feeling reactive or stuck instead of grounded in purpose
Over-identifying with your role or results
Slow burn out and resistance to tasks or people that used to energize you
And when these symptoms begin to occur, it can be easy to think ‘the problem’ is your career. AKA you blame those feelings on a lack of career satisfaction.
In reality, the problem could be that you are misaligned and detached from the things that make you you — both outside of the office and inside of it.
In your personal life, the signs can be subtle. Maybe you stop doing the little things that make you feel put together.
You leave more dishes in the sink than usual or skip pieces of your nighttime routine.
At work, maybe you stop posting on LinkedIn every week or decide to just ‘wing it’ in your big meeting.
It sneaks up on you, and it can feel like burnout or laziness.
But it’s not.
It’s a disconnection from your center.
And if you’re disconnected from your center, you might be thinking you don’t like your job or that it’s time to quit.
But in reality, before we talk about promotions, pivots, or personal brands, we have to start with something deeper: your center.
AKA, who you are at the deepest level.
Because without it, even the best next step won’t feel quite right.
How to Recenter
…without rage quitting or booking a month-long retreat.
Find Meaning:
Align with your strengths and focus on what matters most.
When your work reflects your personal values and strengths, purpose becomes easier to access. You're not just checking boxes, you’re moving in a direction that feels right. Flow follows clarity.
Manage Your Energy:
You can have it all… but not all at once.
Centered leaders don’t aim for perfect balance every day. Instead, they honor the natural cycles of life and work. When personal life demands more, they adjust. When a big work push is needed, they prepare. It’s not about doing everything. It's about doing the right thing at the right time.
Practice Positive Framing:
Your perspective shapes your experience.
A centered leader pauses, reflects, and reframes. I see this often with clients leaving a job: once the decision is made, the big career annoyances suddenly lose their power. That shift? It’s proof that your mindset, not your circumstances, determines your peace.
Connect with Others:
You’re not meant to do this alone.
When you’re uncentered, you might isolate, thinking you need to figure it out yourself. But connection is the antidote. Whether it’s asking for help, deepening a friendship, or finding a mentor, relationships restore clarity, confidence, and energy.
Engage in Your Work:
Show up fully—even when the path isn’t clear.
Being centered doesn’t mean waiting for perfect conditions. It means leaning in, asking questions, raising your hand, and bringing your full self to the table. Engagement is about courage, not certainty. And the more you participate, the more aligned the path becomes.
Why Centeredness > Strategy for Career Satisfaction
We often treat career growth like a puzzle to solve: better jobs, higher pay, more impact.
But without centered leadership, even the “right” opportunity can feel wrong.
When you’re centered:
Clarity comes quicker
Confidence is calm, not forced
Decisions align with your long-term vision, not your short-term fears
You don’t need to start over.
You just need to come back to center.
When your job feels “off,” your first instinct might be to change your environment. But often, what you really need is to reconnect with yourself.
Centered leadership isn’t just about becoming a better manager or employee. It’s about becoming a more grounded, intentional version of you.
And from that place, career satisfaction doesn’t feel like something you have to chase. It becomes something you cultivate.
So before you update your résumé or scroll job boards… take a beat. Recenter.
Then, decide what’s next.
See you next week, Bold Professional.
XO,
Abbey
Want to follow along with more of The Bold Professional?
I was recently interview for an article in Forbes: What Hiring Managers Want, and The Top Interview Dealbreakers.
And next week, I’m speaking on a fireside chat, “Becoming More Than a Resume to Unlock Your Career Breakthroughs”. If you’re craving clarity and direction in your career, come join the conversation.
I’m Abbey, and I help you design your dream career — then go get hired for it.
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Abbey, this was so helpful — personally and professionally! Thank you for sharing!