Boundaries are not, as some people think, walls to keep people out. They are clear guidelines that communicate to people how to treat you and what to expect from you. Think of them as a handbook on how you tick, benefiting both you and them.

Boundaries are critical to your professional brand as a leader. Without clear boundaries and the willingness to maintain and communicate them, your leadership brand will suffer. This affects how others perceive your effectiveness, productivity, and overall leadership vibe.

The Hidden Costs of Poor Boundaries

Burnout and Inefficiency

Often, women have poor or lax boundaries due to the fear of being seen as 'that woman' or a 'strict bi*ch', a fear ingrained through socialisation from a young age to keep females undermined.

Thank you, patriarchy. 🤮🤮🤮

Many women I coach are exceptional collaborators, people-focused, and brilliant at leading their teams intuitively and empathetically. However, deep down — often because many of us didn’t have boundaries role-modelled as we grew up — they believe that setting boundaries will negatively impact their working relationships and how they are perceived in the organisation. This mindset leads to being overly relaxed with boundaries or not having any clear boundaries at all, causing frustration, resentment, and eventually burnout. This becomes a hidden trap for female leaders. They don’t push back on extra work, take on more to please or make it easier for others, and do tasks their team could handle because "they’re already so busy" or they feel 'bad' about delegating. Does any of this sound familiar? These habits become part of your brand, encouraging more work to be piled onto you, tightening the trap.

As you advance in your career, these working habits become solidified and unsustainable, especially when balancing additional responsibilities — maybe throw in a couple of children, elderly parents that suddenly need more support, or perimenopause and its brain fog and energy sap. Suddenly, your well-worn methods of working harder, faster, and longer no longer suffice. Enter stage left … boundaries.

Take Claire, a senior manager. When I started coaching Claire, she wasn’t delegating and ended up overworked, working late into most nights and weekends because — to her — it felt unfair to give her work to others. Claire started to recognise her pattern of not delegating due to wanting to be liked rather than respected in her leadership role. She wasn’t delegating like she needed to at her level in the organisation. After all, what if she delegated more and her team didn’t like her anymore? Through further discussions, she realised that delegating can be about giving her team members the chance to leverage their strengths, step out of their comfort zones, and shine in ways they hadn’t before. Delegating became a way for Claire to set boundaries, save herself time, and allow space to be more present in her professional and personal life. You can only imagine how that positively impacted her brand within her team and the organisation.

Assertive Communication

Clearly communicate your limits to senior executives and stakeholders. For example:

"Given my current strategic priorities, I won't be able to take on this project."

"My focus is on delivering the Q4 objectives, so I will need to pass on this opportunity."

"I can join this initiative, but it will require extending the deadline for my current projects."

"To maintain the quality of our strategic outcomes, I will delegate some tasks to another team."

This sets respectful yet firm boundaries, ensuring your needs are understood and keeps professional relationships strong.

Delegating

Understand that ineffective delegation is a boundary issue. By delegating tasks appropriately, you save time, reduce stress, empower your team and yourself. For instance, Claire started delegating tasks that played to her team members' strengths where possible, which allowed her to focus on higher-level responsibilities and improved team morale and impact.

Be Aware of Your Beliefs About Boundaries:

Reflect on your core beliefs about boundaries. If you believe boundaries are about being inflexible or selfish, you may be sabotaging your efforts to set them. Challenge these beliefs by adopting new, healthier ones such as, "Boundaries help me be more effective and present," or, "Setting boundaries is essential for my well-being and leadership."

If you are not taking charge of your brand, then someone else will. You want to be the one driving your brand and the perception of you at work. Setting boundaries is crucial for maintaining a strong leadership brand. By protecting your energy and focusing on what truly matters, you can enhance your effectiveness and ensure you're seen as an effective, strong and competent leader. Start today by identifying one area where you need to set a stronger boundary and communicate it clearly to your team. Your leadership brand will thank you.

Powerful Coaching Questions:

Where in your life do you feel the most over extended?

What beliefs about boundaries might be holding you back?

How can you start delegating tasks more effectively this week?

Actions to Commit to This Week:

Identify one task you can delegate to a team member.

Clearly communicate one new boundary to a colleague or team member.

Reflect on and challenge one limiting belief you have about boundaries.

Ready to strengthen your leadership brand? Schedule a complimentary 30-minute Assess Your Leadership Session with me to learn how setting clear boundaries can elevate your professional presence. Contact me today to get started.