Setting Boundaries for Women Leaders: What the Research Shows

The closer we get to the end of the year, many women in leadership find themselves juggling more than just deadlines. Certainly, we're juggling a lot all the time: work demands and family obligations being the norm...but now, as we head into holiday season, we're adding in more: end-of-year reports and performance reviews and budgets and planning for the next year, plus the inevitable holiday preparations. It often feels like everyone thinks we're an infinite resource they can just keep piling more and more things onto.

But here's the truth: we do not have to do it all. One of the most powerful tools we can use to reclaim our time and energy—without sacrificing leadership effectiveness—is the practice of setting clear, firm boundaries. ("Oh, no, boundaries! Aren't they selfish? Won't I feel guilty? Won't setting boundaries create problems in my job and my career?" - Stay with me. I'm going to respond to all of these questions and more.)

The Stress of Boundaries—or of Having No Boundaries

Setting boundaries can often feel really uncomfortable, especially for women. We’re expected to be nice. And we're "supposed" to say yes to everything at work, too, right? But when we stretch ourselves too thin, the toll it takes on our mental and emotional well-being is significant...and that can cost you far more than a two-letter word (hint: it's "no").

According to research by the American Psychological Association (APA), clear boundary-setting reduces work-related stress by 25% . That’s not just a statistic—it’s a lifeline. By drawing clear lines between work and personal life, women in leadership roles can create the mental space needed to be fully present and effective across your entire life. So why don't we do it more?

Why We Struggle with Boundaries

Women leaders frequently feel that we have to "do it all" to prove our worth. Many women think if they say no to anything, they'll be signaling that they don't take their jobs or their careers seriously.

And let's be honest: in some organizational cultures, setting boundaries can feel really scary, particularly in this market, where layoffs seem to abound everywhere. The thinking is, "If I set a boundary then I'm saying no to my boss, and that could be dangerous for me." Lately, I've had multiple clients tell me that they will say yes to anything to keep their jobs....all while they're experiencing all the hallmarks of burnout.

To make matters worse, a study from LeanIn found that women leaders are twice as likely as men to be mistaken for someone junior, leading many of us to overcompensate by taking on extra responsibilities. While this may feel necessary in the moment, it can lead to burnout, especially during high-stakes times like we're about to enter.

Setting Boundaries = Better Leadership

The good news? Boundaries aren’t just about saying "no." They’re about saying "yes" to what truly matters. By protecting your time and energy, you’re making a conscious choice to focus on high-priority tasks that actually move the needle. The Harvard Business Review reports that executives who set firm boundaries are more productive and report higher job satisfaction than those who don't.

This boundary-setting also translates into better leadership. When you create space for self-care and intentional time management, you model that behavior for your team. Research from Stanford University found that leaders who prioritize their well-being not only perform better themselves but also inspire higher engagement and productivity from their teams. Your ability to set and respect boundaries could be the very thing that elevates your leadership effectiveness and your team.

But...Who Cares, If You Can't Set Boundaries?

Many of my clients have told me they can't set boundaries. And I respect that. When you're afraid that setting a boundary to protect your well-being is something that could sabotage your success, your leadership, or your very job in a complicated market, of course you'd be reluctant to do it.

We're in a time where we know the very real health dangers of burnout and yet simultaneously, we're in a time where companies are pressing their workforce harder and harder to do more and more.

Now, the true answer is in top-level leadership assessing what's actually most important and focusing attention on those things, as well as attending to a healthier meeting culture that takes into account that if your employees are in meetings all day, they will not have time to do the work. And if they're working for hours at home, then organizations are ultimately going to see absenteeism and attrition rates rise. Quite simply: if you burn out your team members, you'll be looking for replacements when either they get sick or they leave for companies that don't try to kill them with too much work.

But this isn't going to get fixed immediately. So what do you do in the meantime? That's what I'm focusing on in the free live webinar I'm teaching this month.

Setting boundaries is a skill that can be learned and refined, and it can be done in a way that it's not even clear to others that you're doing it. That's right. You can set boundaries without others knowing you're doing it.

If you’re ready to stop feeling overwhelmed and start leading with confidence and learn to set boundaries without sabotaging anything, join me for my free leadership webinar where we’ll dive deeper into these strategies. You’ll walk away with actionable insights that you can implement immediately to reduce stress, reclaim your time, and lead with strength into 2025.

Register Here: https://susanbaroncini-moe.com/webinar2410/