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08.12.25
When Success Isn’t Enough: The Quiet Crisis of Leadership Drift
By Nicolette Bresnahan, Senior Vice President, FMWF Chamber
Two women connect over leadership drift at the July 2025 Women Connect event: Reclaiming Yourself in Leadership.
Leadership drift is the quiet crisis where success hides misalignment. Learn how to spot it and find your way back to purpose.
Leadership can look like success on the outside and still feel hollow inside. The hollowness might be burnout, which doesn’t always announce itself with flames. It often whispers through detachment, exhaustion and a quiet sense of misalignment.
That was the raw, real and resonant message at July’s Women Connect session, Reclaiming Yourself in Leadership: From Quiet Drift to Radical Clarity™, led by Kristi Huber, founder and executive coach at Perspective Shift Consulting. The room was packed, the stories were honest and the energy shift was unmistakable.
What is Leadership Draft?
Leadership Drift is the slow (often invisible) unraveling of alignment. It’s when you slide away from your purpose, your voice and the version of leadership that once felt true.
It happens when:
- Your performance outpaces your purpose
- Your title becomes your identity
- You're climbing the ladder, but never stopped to ask if it’s leaning on the right wall
Kristi didn’t just talk theory. She shared a personal story of breaking down. Twice. The kind of burnout that halts you midstride and forces you to re-evaluate everything.
Her rebuilding phase began with a literal journey through Yellowstone, navigating unknown terrain with a 40-lb pack, maps she couldn’t read and a very real bear encounter.
The metaphor wasn’t subtle.
“When we don’t pause to reflect, we drift. And when we drift, we end up miles from where we meant to go.”
Drift Isn’t a Flaw. It’s a Signal.
If something feels “off,” it’s not a failure. It’s feedback calling you back to yourself.
Drift thrives in motion. Clarity happens in reflection.
When you need to reflect, ask yourself:
- Where in your leadership are you moving without direction?
- What part of you is asking to be heard again?
If Kristi’s message spoke to something deep within you, you’re not alone. And the journey doesn’t stop here.
This blog is part one of a three-part reflection from Kristi Huber’s powerful session at Women Connect. Up next: how to reconnect with your sense of direction, and the tools Kristi offers to lead with clarity and intention.
Keep the Conversation Going
We invite you to continue the conversation in person at our next Women Connect event:
Women Connect: The Architecture of Resilience
Tuesday, Aug. 26 | 3:30 to 5 p.m. | Armory Event Center, Moorhead
Join award-winning architect Tracy Jordre as she shares a deeply personal story of navigating adversity, redefining success, and reimagining the workplace for well-being and impact.
**Content Advisory: This session contains references to mental health struggles and caregiving, including themes of parental trauma and burnout.
This is your invitation to give yourself time to reflect and lead with intention, not just endurance. Claim your seat. Show up for yourself.
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