The Boardroom is No Place for Shrinking: How Cecile Peterkin Builds Confidence in Women Leaders

For decades, boardrooms have often been spaces saturated with male voices, dominating every conversation. In the face of that, the call for women to rise, take space, and own their power has never been more imperative. And Cecile Peterkin, the founder of The Leadership Coaching Centre, has been championing this call for over two decades, coaching women to break free from internalized doubts and cultural conditioning, and instead command attention, influence, and change.

Peterkin founded her leadership coaching firm in 2002, following a thriving career in financial services. A far shift from her previous role, Peterkin’s decision to venture into coaching was deeply personal. Inspired by a close friend who, despite her brilliance and professional acumen, often crumbled under patriarchal pressure. Peterkin realized just how many women were being held back, not by a lack of knowledge or ability, but by their own internalized fears.

“So many women I work with are highly intelligent, experienced, and capable,” Peterkin shares. “But the moment they step into a room with authority figures, especially men, they shrink. They doubt their ideas, they wait for validation, their voices soften, they ask permission rather than taking charge, and the worst part is, it’s self-inflicted.”

This disparity, she explains, is rooted in how society raises its sons and daughters. Boys are encouraged to speak out, take space, play team sports, and take risks. Girls, meanwhile, are taught to nurture, adapt, accommodate, and defer. They’re told to make space, rather than take it. The consequences of these traditional early patterns quietly echo in boardrooms and executive meetings decades later.

“Boys grow up knowing that someone on the team has their back,” Peterkin points out. “They’re not afraid to fail in public. Girls, on the other hand, were conditioned to keep performance and perfectionism on a pedestal, as if that’s all that defines their worth. And that translates into the workplace, where too many women won’t speak up until they believe they know everything.”

Peterkin highlights an old anecdote to illustrate the destructive patterns that hold true even today. She shares, “A chief of staff once offered his role to two candidates: a woman who had been in the medical industry for years, and a man who had just finished med school. The woman said, ‘I’m not ready.’ On the other hand, the man said, ‘Absolutely, I’m ready.’ Same opportunity, completely different responses.”

This hesitation that pervades women in workplaces and hinders their opportunities doesn’t come from a place of incompetence. It’s about confidence and self-belief, something that women often lack. And Peterkin has made it her mission to change that narrative and help women find their voice.

At The Leadership Coaching Center, Peterkin’s approach is rooted in practicality and being unapologetically straightforward, indirectly tackling the very stereotypes that are cast on women. “If you’re walking into a meeting, you must have an agenda,” she says. “And once you do, believe in that agenda. Have the confidence to own it. Know what you bring to the table and where your voice adds value. Don’t wait to be asked. Ask. Contribute. Position yourself where the decisions are happening.”

She trains clients to stop qualifying their ideas, to stop inflecting every statement and contribution like a question, and to stop apologizing for taking up space. “The key to confidence doesn’t lie in what you say, but how you say it,” Peterkin adds. “And confidence is built through action. The first time you speak up and you’re heard, it ignites a fire inside you, and it’s essential to never let that fire go out.”

Peterkin’s insights go beyond the boardroom. Through decades of coaching, she’s observed that many women’s workplace dynamics often have an emotional and psychological influence, shaped by how they interacted with authority figures growing up, especially their fathers.

“If your father was highly patriarchal and controlling, chances are you’ll carry that dynamic into the workplace,” Peterkin explains. “You might find yourself shrinking around dominant male figures. This doesn’t come from a place of weakness. It’s familiarity. But recognizing that is the first step to unlearning it.”

And that’s where Peterkin comes in. She guides them to recognize the self-destructive patterns that women unknowingly harbour. And once they do, she helps them relinquish these beliefs and reclaim their power, their voice, and their space.

For women to thrive in boardrooms, she argues, they must first believe that they belong there, not as tokens, but as leaders. And that belief must be stronger than their fear of judgment.

“Men can always judge, but you have to ask yourself: Are you here to be liked? Or are you here to lead, to be heard, and to succeed?” Peterkin explains. “When you walk into a meeting, know your worth. Dress how you want. You have a voice, so use it. Shout your answers. Make yourself heard. And if someone judges you, make sure they’re judging you for being bold, not for playing small.”

Women already have a lot of power. And in a world that’s intent on taking that power away, they need to stop asking permission to use it. “Women run homes, raise children, and hold communities together. They’re already CEOs of their lives. The boardroom is just another room to conquer,” she adds.

In a world still slow to hand women the mic, Cecile Peterkin is teaching them how to take it with conviction. And in doing so, she’s reshaping what leadership looks like.