Don’t negotiate against yourself. It’s OK to drop the ball. Sleep. We get wisdom from women who are experts on how we work — and who have advice on how to ask for more money, achieve more by doing less, and avoid burning out. We talk with Duke University management professor Ashleigh Shelby Rosette about negotiating, Thrive Global CEO Arianna Huffington about sleep, Levo Chief Leadership Officer Tiffany Dufu about dropping the ball, and New Yorker writer Susan Orlean about confidence. Then HBR senior editor Alison Beard teams up with Amy to answer a few of your questions about work. Our HBR reading list: “Nice Girls Don’t Ask” by Linda Babcock, Sara Laschever, Michele Gelfand, Deborah Small    “Can an Agentic Black Woman Get Ahead? The Impact of Race and Interpersonal Dominance on Perceptions of Female Leaders” by Robert W. Livingston, Ashleigh Shelby Rosette, and Ella F. Washington HBR Guide to Negotiating by Jeff Weiss “How to Keep Email from Ruining Your Vacation” by Arianna Huffington “Connect, Then Lead” by Amy J.C. Cuddy, Matthew Kohut, and John Neffinger “Women, Find Your Voice” by Kathryn Heath, Jill Flynn, and Mary Davis Holt Please fill out our listener survey at hbr.org/podcastsurvey — tell us what you think of the show! Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City In Motion,” provided by Audio Network.

Tiffany Dufu, the founder and CEO of The Crew and author of Drop the Ball, discusses the unrealistic expectations placed on women to 'have it all.' She encourages listeners to embrace the freedom in letting go of these pressures. The conversation covers redefining success in motherhood, the importance of authenticity, and effective delegation in leadership. Tiffany emphasizes prioritizing personal happiness over societal norms, advocating for supportive structures that allow women to thrive both personally and professionally.