When did being exhausted become something we brag about?

“I’m slammed.” “I haven’t stopped all day.” “I’m running on four hours of sleep.”

In this episode of Lead Like a Girl, Jamie, Jessica and Coralyn are talking about our obsession with being busy and asking a bigger question: Are we actually being productive, or have we just gotten really good at filling our time?

From answering emails at 10 PM and feeling guilty about PTO to struggling to delegate, overexplaining our “no,” and even organizing the pantry when there are more important things to do, we get into the habits that keep women constantly running.

We talk about setting boundaries at work and home, delegating without expecting perfection, saying no without a 10-minute explanation, making room for rest, and recognizing when busyness has become part of our identity.

Three takeaways:

• A full calendar doesn’t necessarily mean a full life.
• Measure productivity by results, not activity.
• Every yes costs you something, so know what you’re trading your time for.

And maybe the biggest reminder: You don’t get extra points for being the most exhausted person in the room.

Lead Like a Girl is empowering everyday women through our stories, the good, the bad and the funny.

Topics: work-life balance, burnout, busyness, productivity, time management, setting boundaries, saying no, delegation, women in leadership, career growth, working women, leadership and personal development.

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She pulled off a flawless multi-day event, everything went exactly as planned, and her manager said absolutely nothing — not a text, not a thumbs up, not even a "good job" — and that silence is exactly what this episode is about.

This week Coralyn, Jamie, and Jessica dig into why praise matters so much more than most leaders realize — and why a paycheck is not the same thing as recognition. They talk about the husband who asks "how does the lawn look?" after mowing it, the boss who believed a paycheck was the only "good job" you needed, and why some of us have been chasing a gold star since third grade and never stopped. They get into the psychology behind why recognition can matter as much as money, how to actually give praise that lands, whether praise should happen in public or private, and why accepting a compliment is not the same as being arrogant.

If you've ever done something great and heard nothing back, or you're a leader who assumes people already know they're doing well — this one is for you.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Why recognition and a paycheck are not the same thing
• The psychology behind why people crave praise
• Whether needing praise is a personality trait or a gender pattern
• How to give praise that actually sounds genuine
• Public praise versus private praise, and when each one works
• Why accepting a compliment is a sign of confidence, not ego

If this hit home, send it to someone who needs to hear "good job" today — or to a leader who needs the reminder to say it.

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Lynne Ghelfi spent 15 years leading in a male-dominated industry with zero natural talent for it — and she says that's exactly why it worked.

Lynne never waited for a title to catch up to her influence — in this episode she breaks down why courage and consistency beat raw talent every time, why tough conversations are a leadership skill and not just an awkward moment to survive, and why "courage is doing it scared" isn't a motivational poster line but something she practiced daily.

We get into mentorship, community, and the soft skills that get dismissed as "nice to have" until someone realizes they're actually the whole game — Lynne shares stories of resilience that will make you rethink what leadership potential looks like on paper versus in real life, and why promotions built on tenure instead of leadership skill are quietly holding good people back.

If you've ever felt like you needed permission or a promotion before you were allowed to lead, this episode is your permission slip — send it to the woman on your team who's already leading, title or not.

Connect with Lynne Ghelfi: soleilleadership.com | linkedin.com/in/lynne-b-ghelfi-3882b364

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