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Building Intrinsic Confidence – an Interview with Sophie Gelsthorpe, Chief Human Resource Officer at Sitecore

confidence Feb 19, 2025

In the latest Fearless Female Leadership interview, I had the privilege of speaking with Sophie Gelsthorpe, CHRO, Sitecore, about her journey and insights on intrinsic motivation. Sophie’s career in HR began by chance after university, influenced by her hardworking parents. She emphasizes the importance of intrinsic confidence, sharing her experience with confidence after becoming Chief People Officer at OpenTable and Kayak. Sophie advises reflecting on personal experiences, practicing self-validation, and preparing thoroughly for meetings. She highlights the need for women to fake it till they make it and suggests finding supportive peers to help build confidence.

Key take-aways from the interview:

0:02:32 Sophie’s early life and family background, including her parents’ divorce and their strong work ethic, inspired her ambition and drive.
0:04:43 Sophie fell into HR by chance during university, but found it to be a perfect fit for her interests and strengths.
0:07:15 Relocating for her husband’s job while pregnant was a significant challenge that impacted Sophie’s confidence, but she was able to find new opportunities.
0:11:48 Developing intrinsic confidence and self-love is crucial, not just relying on external validation.
0:15:36 Practices like writing a positive narrative about yourself can help build intrinsic confidence.
0:20:19 Thorough preparation and practice, including anticipating different scenarios, are key to projecting confidence in high-stakes meetings.
0:27:28 It’s important to be able to detach from the outcome and be okay if things don’t go exactly as planned.

If Sophie's story resonated with you, I’d love to hear yours. Let’s connect and explore how you can apply these principles to your leadership journey. Book a call with me today to share your story and take the first step toward fearless leadership.

If you’re interested in being featured on the Fearless Female Leadership podcast, please email me at [email protected].

Cheering you on always!
- Sheryl