The quality of your environment shapes the quality of your leadership

What years of attending networking events taught me and why I created The Intentional Leader. If you've ever left a networking event feeling more drained than inspired, you're not alone.

As ambitious women, we're often told to network more. "Your network is your net worth." "You never know what opportunities you'll come across." It sounds like good advice, so we sign up, show up and hope we'll meet the right people. But what happens when you keep leaving feeling like you don't belong?

For a long time, I thought the problem was me. I attended as many networking events as I could find. They were brilliantly organised, and I met some wonderful people, but something never quite clicked. I would leave feeling exhausted and questioning whether I was simply too introverted for networking.

It wasn't until much later that I realised I had been asking myself the wrong question. The problem wasn't networking. The problem was the environment. The people I met were on different journeys to me. They had different goals, different challenges and were looking for different conversations. There was nothing wrong with those rooms they just weren't the right rooms for where I was in my journey.

The more I spoke to other ambitious women, the more I realised I wasn't alone. Time and time again, women would say to me, "Hanane, you should organise your own event." At first, I dismissed the idea, but eventually I stopped and reflected on why they kept saying it.

I already knew so many incredible women. Women building businesses, progressing their careers and balancing both. Women who were generous with their knowledge, encouraging in their approach and genuinely wanted to see each other succeed. The only thing missing was that most of them only knew me they didn't know one another.

That's when the idea for The Intentional Leader came. I was reminded by an amazing woman who’s booked her place: 

I’m really looking forward to it!!...

we're not just rushing into a room full of people I just don't align with!!

When I read that message, I smiled because I knew she wasn't the only one thinking it. Too many ambitious women have quietly stepped away from networking because it feels transactional. Everyone seems to be selling something, conversations stay on the surface and you leave with a handful of business cards but no real relationships. After enough experiences like that, it's easy to start questioning yourself. "Maybe I'm not confident enough.” "Maybe I don't belong."

The view from the room we'll be in. I've shared the room further down.

But what if the issue isn't you? What if you simply haven't found the right environment? The right room doesn't ask you to become someone you're not. It creates space for genuine conversations, shared experiences and meaningful connections with people who understand the journey you're on. It's the kind of environment where you leave feeling energised instead of drained, encouraged instead of overwhelmed and clearer about your next steps.

That's exactly what I wanted to create with The Intentional Leader. It's more than a networking event. It's an interactive workshop designed to help you pause, reflect and intentionally map out your next three months, with opportunities to network with ambitious women who are on similar journeys. My hope is that you'll leave with more than new contacts. I want you to leave with clarity, confidence, meaningful relationships and an action plan you can put into practice.

Because leadership isn't developed in isolation. It's shaped by the conversations you have, the people who challenge you and the environments you choose to place yourself in.

Here's a sneak peak of the room we'll be in:

The quality of your environment shapes the quality of your leadership.

If you're looking for a room where you can grow intentionally alongside ambitious women who genuinely want to see one another succeed, I'd love to welcome you to The Intentional Leader on Saturday 5th September at South Planks Farm, Preston.

I can't wait to see what happens when the right women are brought into the same room.