Have you ever reacted emotionally at work—and immediately regretted it?
I have.
And I’ve coached so many brilliant women who’ve been there too.
You’re passionate. You care deeply. You’re under pressure.
And then someone says something that crosses a line… and boom. You snap.
Later, you replay the moment in your head, wishing you could go back.
Wishing you had stayed calm.
Wishing people didn’t see you as “too emotional.”
If any of that feels familiar, this episode is going to hit home.
Why Emotional Control Is a Leadership Superpower
This week on From a Woman to a Leader, I sat down with Cecile Peterkin—a seasoned leadership coach, former senior manager, and a woman who learned emotional mastery from an unlikely place: her father.
Cecile shares how emotional intelligence shaped not only her leadership style—but her entire worldview.
She doesn’t believe in yelling.
She doesn’t believe in shaming people into action.
She believes in calm, in conversation, in leading with humanity.
And after listening to her stories, you’ll believe in it too.
Emotional Intelligence Isn’t About Being “Soft”
One of my favorite moments from this episode is when Cecile talks about how she coached a young employee who showed up to work drunk.
Instead of embarrassing him or writing him up, she spoke to him with empathy.
She gave him a taxi chit, told him to go home, and said, “This stays between us.”
He never showed up to work drunk again.
That’s emotional management in action.
It’s not about avoiding hard conversations—it’s about handling them in a way that builds respect instead of breaking people down.
You Don’t Have to Know It All
We also talked about something I see so many women in tech struggle with:
👉 Feeling like you have to know everything to be respected.
Spoiler alert: you don’t.
In fact, when you try to know it all, you block others from growing.
Cecile and I dig into why real leaders don’t just lead—they lift.
They create space for others to shine.
And they don’t let imposter syndrome drive their decisions.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
💡 How emotional control helps you earn respect
💡 What emotional triggers reveal about your leadership
💡 Why legacy is about values—not just money
💡 How to build trust through conversation, not control
💡 Ways to grow your influence without yelling or competing
This episode is a powerful reminder that calm is not weakness.
It’s leadership.
🎧 Ready to listen?
You don’t have to lead like anyone else.
You just have to lead like you.
👉 Click here to listen to the full episode
About Cecile Peterkin
Cecile is the Founder of The Leadership Coaching Centre, where she’s spent over two decades helping professionals lead with integrity, emotional intelligence, and courage.
She’s especially passionate about helping women build legacy careers—on their own terms.
🔗 Connect with Cecile on LinkedIn
About Me
I’m Limor Bergman Gross—a former Director of Engineering turned executive coach for women in tech.
On my podcast, From a Woman to a Leader, I talk with real women about what it actually takes to be seen, respected, and promoted—without burning out or playing a role.
Let’s connect:
🌐 Website
▶️ YouTube
Want to Lead with Confidence and Clarity?
If you’re a mid-to-senior woman in tech who’s tired of being overlooked and wants to finally be recognized as the leader you already are…
👉 Join the waitlist for my Strategic Influence & Executive Presence Accelerator
✨ Learn how to influence without burnout
✨ Be respected for your ideas and leadership
✨ Position yourself for promotion on your terms
💬 What’s one time you stayed calm when it counted?
Let me know in the comments.
And share this post with a woman who needs to hear it.
