Balance Is Broken: What to Drop, What to Protect, and Why 'Always On' Is Burning You Out

Episode Summary:
We’ve been sold a lie—balance doesn’t come from doing more, better. It comes from knowing what to drop. In this episode of Transform and Lead, I’m calling time on the pressure for high-performing women to be always available, always capable, and always holding it all together.

You’ll learn how to reframe your approach to balance using the glass balls vs rubber balls analogy—and why it’s not as simple as work = rubber and family = glass. I’ll share real stories, practical shifts, and a redefinition of success that centres your values, energy and leadership power.

If you’re feeling stretched, stuck, or like the price of ambition is your wellbeing—this one’s for you.

In this episode:

• Why the mental load—not your diary—is the real issue
• How to tell the difference between a glass ball and a rubber one
• What “always on” is costing your leadership and creativity
• A real-world client example of what happens when you let something bounce
• Four gentle, doable shifts to stop burnout before it starts

Listen if you’re:

• Tired of chasing the mythical work-life balance
• Feeling like you’re one notification away from snapping
• Ready to protect what matters most and release the rest
• Done with being the default organiser of everyone else’s needs

️ Try This:
At the end of the episode, I’ll walk you through a simple reflection to name what matters, what can wait, and how to make choices that align with your values—not with guilt.

Resources Mentioned:

• 2024 Burnout Stats: News.com.au Report
• Mental Load & Housework Gap: The Guardian
• Right to Disconnect in Australia: Worklogic

✨ Connect + Share:
Let’s stay in the arena together.
Come connect with me on LinkedIn—I’d love to hear what ball you’re choosing to drop this week, and which one you're finally choosing to protect.
And if this episode shifted something for you, share it with another woman who needs permission to let something bounce.

In this episode of Transform and Lead, Bron explores why pausing—really pausing—isn’t a luxury or a sign of weakness for high-performing executive women. It’s a bold strategic move. If you’ve climbed the ladder, hit the goals, and still find yourself wondering why it doesn’t feel like enough, this one’s for you.

Bron unpacks how thoughtful, intentional stillness can lead to the clarity, confidence and power that overachievement alone won’t give you. From career-defining pivots to re-anchoring in your values, we’re talking about the kind of pause that realigns you with what truly matters.

We’ll talk:

• Why women at the top still experience confidence wobbles
• How the pause helps you get clear on what you want—not just what looks good on paper
• What high-achieving women often get wrong about ambition and alignment
• How self-reflection powers self-awareness—and why it’s essential for authentic leadership
• 3 practical strategies for building meaningful pauses into your leadership rhythm

Referenced Research & Resources:

• How Self-Awareness Elevates Leadership Effectiveness – Forbes (2024)
• The Importance of Self-Awareness in Becoming Better Leaders – International Hospital Federation (IHF)
• The Power of Pause – Advisory Board (2024)
• Why Self-Reflection Is Key in Great Leadership – Walden University
• Don’t Underestimate the Power of Self-Reflection – Harvard Business Review (2022)
• Debriefing Enhances Team Learning – PubMed / Human Factors Journal (2013)

Share This Episode

Know a brilliant woman who’s been powering through without a pause? Send this her way. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Let’s Connect

Want to explore what a powerful pause might look like for you? Book a clarity session at transformandlead.com.au or come chat with Bron on LinkedIn.

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In this episode of Transform and Lead, Bron gets real about something most high-performing women know all too well: the exhausting cycle of performing leadership instead of owning it. Bron shares her personal experience of burnout at Telstra, unpacks the difference between power and performance, and guides you through practical, real-world actions to step into leadership that feels like yours.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything right and still questioning whether it’s enough—you’re not alone. And you’re not broken.

This episode is your permission slip to stop over-functioning and start leading with clarity, alignment, and confidence.

• Bron’s own burnout story and the red flags she ignored
• The difference between performing leadership and owning power
• How performance-based habits keep us stuck in survival mode
• Three practical strategies to shift from performance to power
• A gentle coaching prompt to help you take action this week

• Start a confidence journal to track moments where you lead without justification
• Set “pause points” in your day to switch from reactivity to intention
• Check requests against your values before saying yes
• Use generous language to say no without guilt
• Shift from problem-solving to asking better questions

Where are you still over-performing to feel safe?
And what would shift if you led like you were already trusted?

This week, pick just one moment to experiment. Say less. Trust yourself more.
You don’t need to change everything—just start.

• Invisible Labor in the Workplace: Explores how women often undertake unpaid tasks that benefit company culture but don't advance their careers. ​Syndio+1HuffPost+1
• The Double-Bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership: Discusses the challenges women face due to gender stereotypes and the "think leader, think male" mindset. ​org
• Women in the Workplace 2024 Report: Provides insights into the state of women in corporate America, highlighting ongoing challenges and progress. ​McKinsey & Company+1WSJ+1
• Women and Leadership: A Pew Research Centre survey examining public perceptions of women in leadership roles and the traits attributed to them. ​Pew Research Centre
• How Invisible Labor Affects Relationships: Investigates the impact of unrecognized cognitive labour on women's mental health and personal relationships. ​wisc.edu+1ArizonaPAL+1

• Explore Bron’s executive coaching programs: https://bronstephens.com/individual-programs/
• Connect on LinkedIn: Bron Stephens
• Know someone stuck in performance mode? Share this episode with her.

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That voice in your head—the one whispering that you’re not good enough, not ready, not capable—it’s not the truth. It’s your inner critic, and it’s been running on autopilot for far too long.

61% of women cite their inner critic as the biggest factor eroding their confidence at work.

In today’s episode, we’re calling it out. You’ll learn:
✅ What the inner critic actually is (and why it exists)
✅ The three ways it shows up and how it holds you back
✅ How to catch it in action and reframe it with self-compassion
✅ The exact steps to take back control and start leading with confidence

Because here’s the thing: your inner critic is loud, but it doesn’t have to run the show.

This episode is packed with practical strategies—but if you want to go deeper and truly shift your self-talk, grab my free workbook:
Download here → https://bronstephens.com/own-your-inner-critic/

Share it with a woman who needs to hear it.
Subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Leave a review—it helps more women find this work and step into their confidence.

Connect with me:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bron-stephens
Website: bronstephens.com

Because you deserve to lead, grow, and take up space—without that voice holding you back.

The Voice of Women at Work 2023 Report

Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review

Dr Kirsten Neff Self Compassion

Positive Psychology and the Inner Critic

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This episode is for every high-achieving woman who's ever been told to “tone it down,” “toughen up,” or “be more like a man” to lead effectively.

Bron Stephens gets real about the subtle pressure women still face to reshape their leadership—and the cost of trying to lead like someone else. You’ll hear what the research actually says about female leadership strengths, and why performing leadership is not the same as inhabiting it.

You’ll learn how to recognise the habits that are draining your confidence—and build new ones that help you lead from alignment, not adaptation.

In this episode:

• Why so many women are still receiving gendered leadership feedback
• What the research says about the real strengths of female leaders
• How high-performing women lose confidence by trying to lead like someone else
• Six powerful habits to lead with more ownership and energy
• What it really means to “lead from your values”

You’ll leave this episode with:
✓ Permission to lead like you
✓ A clear sense of what’s been holding you back—and why it’s not your fault
✓ Practical tools you can use this week to step into your full-sized leadership

Liked this episode?
Share it with a woman in leadership who needs to hear it. And if it landed, leave a review—it helps more women find their way back to themselves in leadership.

Links & Resources:

• Blog:
• Free Values Workbook: Know Your Values
• Research: Women in the Workplace – McKinsey & LeanIn
• Research: Women Score Higher Than Men in Most Leadership Skills – HBR
• Research: Women Get 'Nicer' Feedback – And It Holds Them Back – HBR
• Connect with Bron on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bronstephens
• Learn more about coaching with Bron: bronstephens.com

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Have you ever made a decision that just felt right—even if it wasn’t the easy choice? Or walked away from something, knowing deep down it wasn’t for you, but struggled to explain why? That’s your values at work.

In this episode of Transform & Lead, I’m breaking down why values-based leadership is the foundation of confidence, clarity, and authentic leadership—especially for ambitious women navigating high-stakes roles.

When you know your values—really know them—decision-making gets sharper, energy stays higher, and you no longer waste time second-guessing yourself. But when your values aren’t clear? Boundaries slip, confidence wavers, and leadership feels harder than it needs to be.

Tune in to learn:
✔️ A step-by-step process to uncover and refine your core values.
✔️ How to use values as a filter for confident decision-making.
✔️ What happens when you lead in alignment with your values—and the impact when you don’t.

This is the work that changes everything. If you’re ready to stop proving yourself and start owning your ambition, femininity, and power—this episode is for you.

Listen now and grab the free Values Identification Workbook here!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bron-stephens/

Let me know what resonates—drop me a message or share your biggest takeaway!

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Confidence isn’t about feeling a certain way—it’s about knowing a certain way. In this episode, Bron dives into why high-performing women don’t actually lack confidence—they lack clarity. If you’ve ever found yourself second-guessing your instincts, overexplaining your ideas, or feeling like you have to prove yourself over and over again, this episode is for you.

Bron unpacks the four types of clarity every ambitious woman needs to lead with confidence:
✅ Clarity of Your Values & Purpose
✅ Understanding What Holds You Back (Systemic & Internal)
✅ Clarity of What You Want From Your Career & Life
✅ The Missing Piece: Time to Reflect, Plan & Take Intentional Action

She also shares three practical ways to untangle your thoughts and get unstuck:
Find an Outside Ear (Without Advice Overload) – How to set up a conversation that helps you gain clarity without getting unhelpful opinions.
Use ChatGPT as a Thought Partner – The exact prompt to use to get powerful coaching-style questions. Use this prompt:

"I’m a high-performing woman in an executive role, and I feel stuck. I know I’m capable, but I second-guess myself, and I don’t know exactly what I want for my future. Acting as an executive coach, ask me powerful coaching questions that will help me untangle my thoughts, clarify my goals, and reconnect with my confidence."

Journal with These 3 Prompts – Unlock deeper clarity by writing your way through the mental clutter.

This episode will challenge you to see clarity as an investment, not a luxury, and help you take action toward the confidence you’ve been waiting for.

[Listen now on your favourite podcast platform!]

Evidence-Based Research on Leadership Clarity & Reflection:

1. How Self-Reflection Makes You a Better Leader
   This Forbes article discusses how self-reflection enhances leadership by fostering self-awareness and informed decision-making.
2. The Key to Leadership Development Is Critical Reflection
   This piece emphasizes the role of critical reflection in leadership development, offering practical suggestions like maintaining a reflection journal.

Want to take this work deeper?

• DM me on LinkedIn – Let’s talk about how you can step into leadership clarity!
• Join my newsletter for more insights on owning your ambition, femininity, and power.

Enjoyed this episode?

• Subscribe & leave a review—it helps more ambitious women like you find this show!
• Screenshot & tag me on Instagram with your biggest takeaway!

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This is a special International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025 episode of Transform and Lead. With everything happening in the US and growing noise here in Australia, I wanted to see if we could have a sensible conversation on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). It's too important to see it topple and find ourselves in the same situation yet the conversation is getting messy and worse, it's becoming about men rather than the patriachy (they're not the same thing). This year’s IWD theme, “Accelerate Action”, isn’t about lip service—it’s about doing the work to create workplaces where everyone can thrive.

️ In this episode, I share:
✔️ My personal experience seeing some of the fallout from DEI going wrong.
✔️ Why DEI shouldn’t be divisive—how we move from an “us vs. them” mindset to real, inclusive leadership.
✔️ Three areas of DEI that are at risk of getting lost in the noise: equal parental leave for fathers, workplace flexibility for everyone (not just parents), and fixing leadership pipelines so the next generation doesn’t hit the same barriers.
✔️ Four actions leaders can take right now to support DEI in a way that actually works—without backlash, performative gestures, or exhausting “tick-the-box” exercises.

This episode is about real stories, real change, and real leadership—because DEI isn’t about guilt or exclusion, it’s about making workplaces better for everyone.

What are your thoughts? How are you accelerating action this International Women’s Day? Drop me a message or share your insights!

️ Hit play and let's get into it!

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References:

• The Broken Rung - https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace
• DEI Isn’t Working. Inclusive Economics Might - https://time.com/7022544/inclusive-economics-dei-impact-business/
• Why longer paternity leave is a step forward for gender equality - https://www.weforum.org/stories/2019/12/parental-leave-equal-rights-for-women-and-men/
• Paid paternity leave should be the norm in the US - https://www.weforum.org/stories/2020/11/paid-paternity-leave-in-the-united-states/
• AIFS Fathers and parental leave - https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/fathers-and-parental-leave
• What is DEI and why is Trump opposed to it? - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/24/diversity-backlash-what-is-dei-and-why-is-trump-opposed-to-it
• Rollback on diversity policies ‘risks undoing decades of prog...