Building an Empire While Holding Hearts: Deane’s Leadership Journey Across NZ, AU & the Philippines 

Deane | Building An Empire While Holding Hearts 
Women Who Lead by Design – Story 2 

Walking alongside extraordinary women leaders across Aotearoa and beyond, I see the same pattern again and again: they are simultaneously holding a business, a team, a family, and a future in their hands, usually while quietly wondering whether they are “enough” to do it. 

This series honours those women as they really are: leading, doubting, deciding anyway, and designing their own version of freedom. Today, we continue with Deane. 

“It is always hard for me to sum myself up,” Deane said during an interview. Then she paused and added, “I keep coming back to this idea of leading with heart. Fighting for what matters.” 

When we first started working together, Deane was part of the team scaling CloudInIT, a cloud-solutions business later acquired by Deloitte. When the opportunity arose, she and her three partners – one of them her husband – backed themselves and created SLEEQ, an international, cloud-led CRM and digital transformation company. 

The company began with a phenomenal team, strong results and fast expansion across New Zealand, Australia, and the Philippines. But scale exposed a structural gap: four partners, equal voice, no one holding the direction. Decisions slowed, everyone did everything, and urgency drove the cadence. It became clear that the business needed a defined head for stability and growth. 

Deane was the quiet centre of gravity – yet she didn’t see herself as the one who should lead. When she stepped into the Executive Officer role, she faced something many high-performing women recognise: imposter syndrome. Early on, she felt she was “waiting for someone to tap me on the shoulder and ask what I was doing in this seat.” 

Studies show that around 75% of women executives report experiencing imposter syndrome at some point in their careers (Forbes), and that’s just the start of what’s stacked against women: research also finds that women are often judged on what they have already delivered, while men are promoted more on perceived potential – a structural bias baked into many organisations and highlighted in McKinsey & LeanIn’s Women in the Workplace report. 

Imposter feelings are not a flaw – they’re a rational response to systems that expect excellence but question authority. Behavioural-science research from The Decision Lab reinforces that these feelings increase when individuals operate in environments that undervalue or overlook their capabilities. 

As Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith outline in How Women Rise – Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back, women often hesitate to claim achievements, overvalue expertise, and minimise their leadership. 

Our executive coaching work was never about turning Deane into a different person. It was about helping her see and own the leader she already was. She moved from “one of the partners who carries a lot” to the Executive Officer, who holds direction, sets rhythm, and ensures that structure supports growth. 

You can see that shift in how she now describes leadership: 

“Leadership is a choice. It’s doing the hard things, staying true to your values, and creating clarity for others even when things feel messy. You cannot grow something sustainable without structure, and you cannot lead well if you’re constantly overwhelmed or trying to do everything. For me, the shift was realising that leadership isn’t about carrying everything – it’s about creating the conditions for others to step up.” 

Inside SLEEQ, that shift has turned into action: a stronger senior-leadership layer, clearer roles, and decisions guided by intent rather than panic. Deane holds the vision, while her partners lead confidently in their domains. It’s what happens when women step beyond the “doer” identity and design a system that no longer depends on constant over-functioning. 

Deane is not only a business leader. She refuses to build a business that consumes the life it’s meant to support. That’s where Freedom by Design becomes her anchor: 

“Freedom by Design means having the clarity and courage to lead with intention – creating leadership frameworks, boundaries, and shared, sustainable accountability. I am not only a business leader; I am also a mother, a partner, and a human being, and I’m learning to design my approach to leadership in a way that supports all of them.” 

Her leadership style – “building an empire while holding hearts” – is by design. It epitomises the ‘trust and inspire’ style of leadership, quite the contrast to the ‘command and control’ model of days gone by. 

Ask Deane to describe herself now, and she’ll say: “Empathetic. Fun. True. Authentic. Reliable. Supportive, understanding… impatient. I do not have time for things that do not align with my values.” This values-first lens anchors difficult decisions, restructures, and tough conversations – all while creating space for people to grow. Research from the American Psychological Association and Zenger & Folkman shows that leaders who combine empathy, clarity, and accountability are rated among the most effective across. When I asked Deane what advice she’d give other women leading in high-growth businesses, she offered:  

“Get clear on what matters and lead from there – choose to lead, especially when things are complex. Surround yourself with people who challenge and support you; coaching gave me clarity and confidence when I needed it. Do not underestimate yourself. Stand firm in your values, lead with intent, and back yourself. You can scale a business, lead a team, and still protect what matters most to you – it starts with choosing how you lead and believing you are exactly where you are meant to be.” 

Shelley’s story was about finding her voice. Deane’s is about using hers to build something sustainable, human, and unapologetically ambitious across three countries. 

If you see yourself in her journey – the imposter feelings, the load you carry, the ambition to grow without losing who you are – I hope her words give you both recognition and a nudge. 

You don’t have to wait for someone to permit you to lead. You can choose to lead, design the structures that support you, and build your own version of freedom by design.