WTF Wednesday.

WTF Wednesday - "WTF." That's the description this week.

Disclaimer - if you're a male reading this newsletter - hang in there, I promise there's something in this story for you.

I never expected a hot flash in our weekly executive team meeting to be the moment everything shifted — but there I was, palms slick, cheeks aflame, trying to pretend I wasn’t boiling on the inside while delivering a quarterly update.

I laughed it off, cracked a joke, and finished my slide deck. But later that night, scrolling through my phone, I realized something: this wasn’t “just a weird day.” This was menopause — sneaking in the back door of my body right when I needed clarity, confidence, and energy the most.

And I wasn’t alone. Nearly two out of every five women report menopause symptoms interfering with their work performance each week, yet most workplaces treat it like an invisible, unspoken, (almost secret) "condition," instead of a human experience.

When I read the Harvard Business Review piece on how companies can support employees experiencing menopause, the reality of what I’d been navigating — and how rarely it’s acknowledged — hit hard.

Organizations often talk about engagement and inclusion, but few have actual policies, conversations, or supports around menopause — even though it’s happening to women exactly in the years we’re being counted on for leadership.

Here’s what the research highlights — and what I learned firsthand:

Menopause isn’t a “personal issue” — it affects real work

Symptoms like brain fog, sleep disruption, hot flashes, and exhaustion aren’t “inconveniences.” They show up in meetings, on Zoom calls, and in strategic thinking.

Many women don’t even say the word at work because of stigma. No woman wants to add to the perception that they are weaker, or less capable than their counterparts because of hormones, of all things.

That was me — laughing it off instead of naming it. Cracking jokes as I turned the thermostat to arctic temperatures in every meeting, while my colleagues added parkas to their business attire. I carried my portable fan to meetings and made fun of myself to make other people comfortable — a skill I’ve spent years perfecting.

Support starts with awareness and listening

The HBR authors recommend that companies first listen — really listen — to what women are experiencing, rather than assuming it’s a private medical issue that doesn’t belong in HR or leadership conversations.

If my team had just asked, “How are you feeling, really?” maybe I wouldn’t have felt so alone in those early days.

Culture shift matters more than extra benefits

Yes — policies, benefits, and accommodations are helpful. But what women say matters more is the freedom to talk about menopause without feeling like their competence is under a microscope.

I found my voice after doing my own research — but a voice only matters if it’s heard, and if the story being told is accepted as truth.

Supporting menopause isn’t just compassionate… it’s smart business

Women are leaving jobs, scaling back careers, or disappearing from leadership pipelines because they aren’t supported through this transition. Companies that ignore this risk burnout, turnover, and the loss of strategic talent — at precisely the time women are poised to lead.

When organizations get this right, research shows women don’t just cope — many thrive, finding a renewed sense of purpose and leadership strength in midlife.

If you’re a man reading this, here’s why it matters to you

You may not experience midlife leadership the same way — but you are almost certainly leading alongside women who do.

Women in midlife are often the most experienced, steady, and trusted leaders in healthcare organizations. When they disengage, leave, or quietly stop absorbing dysfunction, it creates ripple effects teams feel immediately.

This isn’t about gender politics. It’s about organizational stability.

When talented women leaders reach a point where the cost of “holding it together” outweighs the reward, organizations lose institutional knowledge, cultural continuity, and leadership depth — often without fully understanding why.

For male leaders, this is an opportunity:

• to notice where systems rely on unspoken emotional labor

• to examine which expectations are sustainable — and which are simply inherited

• to build cultures where accountability and support are shared, not silently absorbed

• to ask questions, versus being scared to engage

  
  

When women leaders stay engaged, healthy, and aligned, organizations are stronger. That’s not a women’s issue. That’s a leadership issue.

So here’s my WTF takeaway:

Midlife isn’t a decline — it’s a pivot point. A hot flash in a meeting isn’t a liability — it’s a signal that the workplace needs to evolve with us, not pretend we don’t exist.

If we normalize these conversations, if leaders make space for vulnerability and real talk, and if workplaces back up empathy with action, then midlife becomes not a silent struggle… but a collective strength.

And that? That’s the WTF in my Wednesday. 🔥

~Steph

PS - If this resonated — especially if you’re navigating midlife leadership quietly — you’re not alone. These are the conversations I have every day with leaders who are carrying more than they show and trying to lead well without disappearing themselves.