She is empowered - Agnetta's story
"Senior leadership often means working differently"
Back to storiesI almost did not join the Female Future Programme. Not because I was unqualified, but because I was nervous. Nervous about being stretched, and about what I might find out about myself if I stepped into something bigger.
Moving into senior roles
At the time, I was experienced and delivering results. Still, I knew that moving into more senior and decision-making roles would require more than strong day-to-day performance. It would require a shift in how I think and how I lead.
I said yes after a conversation with my manager. She saw potential in me that I was not fully acting on. She challenged me to stop staying only within what I already knew, and to start preparing for the level she believed I was capable of. That conversation was the turning point.
Working differently
One realisation came early. Senior leadership isn’t about more work, but about working differently. The programme helped me step back from operational instinct and build more strategic clarity. I learned more about how governance differs from management, and how decisions are shaped in senior spaces. From that point, I became more intentional about developing my team, not only delivering my own work.
Growing in presence
Then came a harder insight. What I had called professionalism sometimes looked like emotional distance. Being closed off had become a habit. Through reflection and peer challenge, I worked on self-regulation and presence. I started building confidence grounded in self-awareness, rather than performance.
Showing up consistently
I also learned that leadership is visible. I became more deliberate in how I communicate and how I prepare for important conversations. Not to perform, but to be clear and consistent. I also began paying more attention to how I show up, including in digital spaces, because credibility is built over time.
Managing energy
Another practical lesson was about sustainability. One analogy from the programme helped me see leadership as the management of energy, not only outcomes. I started taking routines, recovery and balance more seriously. Not perfectly, but consistently.
I am proud to be Senior Hamuka Manager now. I am still learning, but I approach senior responsibility with much more clarity, and more intention than before.”
