The Inner Coach Advantage: Reclaiming Ambition with AI & Self-Compassion 

Morning Breakout Session I

In today’s high-pressure academic environment, many women leaders and educators navigate a delicate balance between ambition, service, and self-preservation. We strive to be resilient, yet we often silence our own needs, minimize our achievements, or feel like we’re “not doing enough.” This session offers a powerful reframing: what if the most radical act of leadership is being kind to ourselves and modeling that mindset outward?

This interactive session explores how AI, when used with intentionality and care, can become a supportive ally for reclaiming our inner voice, honoring our emotional boundaries, and practicing sustainable ambition. In this workshop, presenter Sue McKenzie demonstrates how generative AI tools  can help women educators speak to themselves the way they speak to students with encouragement, clarity, and compassion.   

Together, we will explore:

• How to identify and interrupt inner critic narratives (e.g., “I’m behind,” “I’m not enough,” “I should be doing more”)

• How to use AI to co-create “inner coach” scripts and reframing strategies that align with personal values

• How growth mindset principles can serve not just our students, but ourselves as sustainable leadership tools

Participants will engage in real-time activities to test reflection prompts, practice voice coaching, and explore how AI can reduce emotional labor by helping draft affirming feedback, announcements, and even difficult conversations without compromising authenticity.

This session honors NHWHE’s 2026 theme, A Legacy in Motion, by reframing how legacy is built: not just in what we achieve, but in how we model resilience, presence, and emotional sustainability for others. Women rarely rise alone and sometimes, we need help rising from within.