By Janet Coin
“What is expected of leaders is judgment, not sheer stamina.” — Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO of Thrive Global
For years, women have been taught that strong leadership means enduring more, doing more and carrying more. But as burnout continues to affect women in senior positions at disproportionately high rates, a different understanding of leadership is emerging. Increasingly, female executives, entrepreneurs, political leaders and professionals are recognising that slowing down is not necessarily a sign of weakness or reduced ambition. It can be a deliberate strategy for protecting judgement, creativity, wellbeing and long-term impact.
The shift is significant because women have traditionally faced a unique combination of professional and personal expectations. They are often expected to excel in their careers while also carrying substantial responsibilities at home and providing emotional support to colleagues, teams and families. As conversations around workplace wellbeing become more prominent, women are beginning to question whether constantly operating at maximum capacity should really be considered the definition of successful leadership.
For years, women have been praised for being able to do it all—lead teams, build businesses, manage families and remain constantly available. But as burnout continues to affect women in senior positions at higher rates than men, a new question is emerging: What if slowing down is not a weakness but a smarter way to lead?
Women leaders are increasingly challenging the culture of constant performance and recognising that sustainable leadership requires boundaries, recovery and the courage to acknowledge personal limits.
The Burnout Gap
The numbers tell a compelling story. McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org’s Women in the Workplace 2025 report found that about 60% of senior-level women frequently experienced burnout, compared with roughly 50% of senior-level men. Among women who had been with their companies for five years or less, the figure rose to around 70%.
The pressure is not simply about workload. Women often carry additional emotional responsibilities at work, including mentoring, supporting colleagues, managing relationships and resolving conflicts. Much of this invisible labour goes unrecognised, creating another layer of pressure for women already operating in demanding leadership roles.
When “Doing It All” Becomes Too Much
The expectation that successful women should excel everywhere has created what is often called the “Superwoman” trap. Women are expected to be ambitious and authoritative while remaining supportive, available and personally responsible for keeping everything together.
But resilience has limits. Being capable of carrying more does not mean continually accepting more. Increasingly, women are recognising that leadership should not be measured by how much exhaustion they can tolerate.
Knowing When to Step Back
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern offered a powerful example when she resigned in 2023, saying she no longer had “enough in the tank” to continue. Her decision challenged the idea that stepping away from leadership represents failure.
Instead, it demonstrated self-awareness: knowing when personal capacity has been depleted and having the courage to respond before exhaustion compromises performance. For many women, that lesson is becoming increasingly relevant.
Rest Is Part of Leadership
Arianna Huffington has long challenged the glorification of overwork. After collapsing from exhaustion and sleep deprivation in 2007, she became a prominent advocate for sleep, recovery and sustainable performance.
Her philosophy reflects a growing leadership principle: rest is not the opposite of productivity. A rested leader has greater capacity for strategic thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence and sound decision-making. Slowing down can therefore be an investment in better leadership rather than a retreat from ambition.
Boundaries Are Not Weakness
For women accustomed to proving their commitment through constant availability, setting boundaries can be difficult. Yet declining unnecessary commitments, delegating responsibilities, protecting focused work time and disconnecting after hours can create the space required for higher-value leadership.
The goal is not to do less simply for the sake of doing less. It is to become more intentional about where time, energy and attention are invested.
The System Must Change Too
Individual resilience cannot solve a structural problem. Organisations must create cultures where flexibility does not damage career progression and where women can adjust their workload during different seasons of life without being pushed off the leadership track.
There must be room for a “slow lane” without it becoming a dead end. Sustainable leadership requires organisations to recognise invisible labour, challenge excessive workloads and stop equating constant availability with commitment.
A New Definition of Ambition
Women are not necessarily becoming less ambitious. They are redefining what ambition costs.
Success can mean achieving professional influence while protecting personal wellbeing, relationships and identity. It can mean knowing when to push forward and when to pause. It can mean understanding that a long and meaningful career is more valuable than a short period of success achieved through exhaustion.
The next era of female leadership may therefore be less about proving that women can do it all and more about recognising that they do not have to.
Slowing down is not giving up. Sometimes, it is the leadership strength that makes it possible to keep going.
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