268: Boundaries for Women in Leadership: How to Lead Without Burning Out

You’re overdelivering. Everyone relies on you. But you’re exhausted—and no closer to the promotion or recognition you deserve. If you're stuck in overfunctioning, feeling responsible for everyone, or afraid to say no—this episode is your permission slip to lead differently.

Join us as we explore how boundaries aren’t just helpful—they’re essential for executive presence, sustainable leadership, and getting recognized at work. You’ll walk away with the mindset shifts, scripts, and practical tools to reclaim your time, your strategic focus—and your path to promotion.

💡 Want to know what’s really holding you back from a promotion? Take the Promotion Readiness Scorecard  (tonicollis.com/scorecard)— a 3-minute diagnostic to find your biggest gap.

In this episode: ✔️ Why women leaders are especially vulnerable to burnout ✔️ The performance vs. potential promotion gap ✔️ How to stop being the team therapist ✔️ 4 signs your boundaries are broken ✔️ Why boundaries = executive presence ✔️ Scripts to say no without guilt or burning bridges

The Micro-Boundary Phrases to help you get started:

• 🗣️ “That sounds important—can I suggest someone better positioned to help?” (👉 Delegates without guilt, empowers others.)
• 🗣️ “Let me check my priorities and get back to you.” (👉 Buys you time. Signals intentionality, not resistance.)
• 🗣️ “To give this the attention it deserves, I’ll need to shift the timeline.” (👉 Balances ownership with realism.)

🔥 You’re not failing. You’re just doing too much of the wrong kind of work. Let’s fix that—starting today.