Our mission is to create a psychologically safe, inclusive space in Sheffield where women and non-binary people who hold responsibility for others can grow into leaders who are both effective and deeply human.
We bring together ambitious professionals from across sectors – including tech, the NHS, public services, education, nonprofits, and values-led small businesses – who are often carrying a lot: heavy workloads, invisible emotional labour, complex systems, and their own histories of illness, caring, or burnout.
Through a blend of structured learning, honest conversation, and genuine community, the Circle offers “part training course, part social circle, part group therapy session – in the best possible way.” It exists outside any single employer or institution, so members can think and feel freely without having to perform.
- Psychological safety: creating a space where people can show up as they are, speak candidly about power, identity, and mental health, and experiment with new ways of leading without fear of humiliation or punishment.
- Inclusive, anti-oppressive leadership: equipping members to notice and challenge racism, sexism, classism, ableism, xenophobia, and other forms of harm in themselves, their teams, and their organisations.
- Sustainable work and wellbeing: helping leaders set boundaries, navigate burnout, and build cultures that are kinder and more humane for both staff and communities.
- Practical impact: grounding our conversations in the real dilemmas of leading in stretched systems, and sharing tools that members can take back to their teams the next day.
The Circle exists because too many people are quietly burning out, stepping back, or being pushed out of work by cultures that are unsafe or unsustainable – especially in health, care, and public service. We believe that by supporting the people who already care deeply – the “safe pair of hands,” the over-stretched manager, the returning professional, the new leader who does not want to repeat old patterns – we can change what leadership feels like from the inside out.
Our long-term ambition is to see a network of leaders in and around Sheffield who are confident, connected, and courageous enough to create workplaces – and wider communities – where it is normal to be both ambitious and gentle, accountable and compassionate, strategic and human.
Please note: sales and promotion aren’t part of this space. We’re here for learning, not pitching.