Ep 276 Saying No Is Kind: How Nice Leaders Set Boundaries Without Losing Their Team w/Kristen Hadeed
You care about the team you lead. You say yes more often than you should. You take on the extra work so your team doesn’t have to. And now you’re running on empty.
Kristen Hadeed knows that place well. She started Student Maid at 19 to buy a pair of jeans. Forty-five people quit on her in one day. She wrote a bestseller about it. Then, more than a decade in, she caught her reflection in a window and didn’t recognize the person looking back.
In this episode, host Tyler Dickerhoof, and Kristen Hadeed dig into the belief that was causing her to drown in shame: “It’s my job to keep people happy.” Where it started. What it cost her. And how she let it go.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How to spot the hidden belief driving your leadership decisions
Why saying no is kind, both to you and to the other person
The weekly 1–10 capacity check-in Kristen’s team uses to stop burnout before it starts
Why Navy SEALs train at an 8, not a 10
How to stop feeling like you have to earn rest
One simple question that helps you trust your own answer
A three-line mirror exercise that changes how you talk to yourself
Meet Kristen
Speaker, author, and a believer in people
Kristen Hadeed has spent the last decade helping leaders build trust, connection, and wildly engaged cultures. She has spoken in nearly every U.S. state and several other countries.
She is the author of Permission to Screw Up, which has sold more than 50,000 copies, and her new book, Human Leadership. Her first TED Talk has more than three million views. Her work has been featured by PBS, FOX, NBC, TIME, Inc., and Forbes.
Kristen learned everything she knows about leadership by screwing up. She believes the best leaders own their humanity and make room for others to do the same.
She lives in Houston with her husband, Spiros, and her bonus daughter, Evie.
Resources, books, and links mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Kristen:
Website: https://www.kristenhadeed.com/
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About the Tyler Dickerhoof Show Podcast
The Impact Driven Leader Podcast, hosted by Tyler Dickerhoof, is for Xillennial leaders who have felt alone and ill-equipped to lead in today's world. Through inspiring interviews with authors from around the world, Tyler uncovers how unique leadership strengths can empower others to achieve so much more, with real impact.
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