The Neuroscience of Women’s Leadership: Why Claiming Achievements Feels Risky

Why do so many accomplished women still struggle to name and claim their achievements, even when their competence is clear? In Part 1 of this 12-part Women’s Leadership series within Neuroscience of Coaching, Dr. Irena O’Brien and Silvia Causo explore why this is often not a confidence gap at all, but a nervous system pattern shaped by history, belonging, and the learned risk of visibility. Through a neuroscience- and trauma-informed lens, Irena and Silvia explore why visibility can still feel risky, why insight alone is often not enough, and why advice like “speak up more” can miss what is really happening underneath. This conversation is especially relevant for coaches, women leaders, and helping professionals who want a deeper and more compassionate understanding of why self-minimizing, deflecting praise, or struggling to own their achievements can persist even at senior levels. “It wasn't until two days later I realized I had minimized my own accomplishment and given it to someone else.” — Dr. Irena O’Brien “I invite you just to stop and ask yourself whose voice is this? Is this my voice?”— Silvia Causo Guest Bio: Silvia Causo is a trauma-informed coach and energetic realignment facilitator who supports visionary leaders and changemakers to release the mental, emotional, and energetic blocks that limit their fullest expression of power and purpose. Her work moves beyond traditional coaching, bridging neuroscience, somatic healing, and energetic attunement to create profound transformation at every level of being. Through her high-touch, deeply intuitive approach, Silvia helps leaders reconnect to their inner coherence, the state where clarity, confidence, and authenticity naturally arise. Silvia is also the co-founder of Lead & Belong, a pioneering collaboration with writer and scholar Adrianne Arendse. Together, they explore the intersections of leadership, culture, and embodied healing, guiding organisations and individuals to move beyond performative inclusion toward genuine connection, collective wellbeing, and regenerative impact. At the heart of Silvia's work is a simple yet radical set of beliefs: that deep self-awareness is the path to true freedom, authentic belonging is what we all seek, and true power emerges when we self-lead from integrated wholeness rather than fragmentation. Her presence invites both safety and expansion, a rare balance that allows transformation to unfold not through force, but through resonance. Host Bio: Dr. Irena O'Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience. She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit. Dr. O'Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University. Resources mentioned in this episode: Mirasee Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School Silvia’s website: www.SilviaCauso.com Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silviaannacauso/ Credits: Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien Producer: Michi Lantz Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario Executive Producer: Danny Iny Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio Music credits: Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker Artist: Avocado Junkie Writer: Sander Kalmeijer Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION Track Title: Coo Coos Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo Writer: Matthew Wigton Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION Track Title: In This Light Artist: Sounds Like