Living With The Cost Of Unreliable Leadership

In this episode of Frustrated and Exhausted, Speaker I dive into the powerful topic of how unreliable leadership impacts women, their well-being, and their performance at work. Instead of focusing on personal shortcomings, I challenge the common narrative around burnout and exhaustion, encouraging listeners to look at the environments and conditions that drive these feelings.A Different View on Burnout:Eexplain that chronic exhaustion isn’t always about individual resilience or personal flaws. Instead, it’s often a normal response to unpredictable, unreliable, and unsupportive work environments.The Impact of Leadership:The conversation highlights how inconsistent communication, shifting priorities, and a lack of transparency from leaders can leave teams feeling exhausted and on edge—even when leaders don’t intend harm.Research on Psychological Safety:Referencing Amy Edmondson’s work, the episode discusses how low psychological safety in a workplace can suppress openness, making employees hide mistakes rather than seek support, ultimately harming performance and engagement.Internalizing Systemic Problems:The episode acknowledges that high-performing women often internalize systemic issues, believing they’re at fault and that self-improvement alone is the solution—even when the real issue is the broader environment.Questions Leaders Should Ask:Calls on leaders to look beyond individual performance and to ask more insightful questions: What are people in my team actually adapting to? What conditions do they face each day?Building Trust & Performance:By fostering trust, belonging, and a culture of honesty, organizations can move away from blame and toward higher energy, engagement, and real performance.Connect with the show:Have thoughts, questions, or stories to share? Get in touch via LinkedIn or visit resonateleadership.co.uk. Your experiences matter!Thanks for tuning in. If this episode resonates with you, remember—you’re not alone, and it’s not just you. Keep going!Connect with Ruth:Instagram LinkedIn Website