Description

This week, the hosts and feminist leadership expert Dr. Deepa explore the systemic and gendered roots of burnout for women in leadership. The conversation focuses on delegation as a critical leadership skill, exploring why many women struggle to delegate, how cultural expectations and upbringing shape “do it all” behavior, and how redefining responsibility can transform both personal and professional wellbeing. Through an ABA-informed lens, the hosts and Dr. Deepa examine how environmental contingencies, rule-governed behavior, and reinforcement systems contribute to chronic exhaustion and invisible labor. They discuss how effective delegation lowers response effort, increases access to meaningful reinforcers, and supports sustainable leadership practices.

Listeners will hear practical strategies for boundary-setting, shared responsibility, and redefining delegation as a feminist act rather than a sign of weakness. Dr. Deepa also offers tools for reframing guilt, clarifying outcomes, and creating organizational cultures that reinforce healthy work distribution rather than overwork. This episode is designed for women leaders, helping professionals, and anyone interested in behavioral science, equity, and reimagining burnout prevention through delegation, boundaries, and ABA principles.

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After listening to the episode, participants will be able to:

• Analyze how systemic, cultural, and gendered factors influence burnout and identify strategies for applying ABA principles to address these environmental contingencies.
• Demonstrate strategies for effective delegation and boundary-setting using ABA principles.
• Design reinforcement systems within organizations using OBM concepts to support sustainable work practices.
• Evaluate leadership practices through a feminist and behavioral lens.

References: 

• Artz, B., Kaya, I., & Kaya, O. (2021). Gender role perspectives and job burnout. Review of Economics of the Household, 20(2), 447–470. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11150-021-09579-2
• Bottini, S., Slowiak, J. M., & Kazee, A. (2025). Conceptualizing job burnout through a behavioral lens: Implications for organizational behavior management. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 45(1), 80‑103. https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2024.2319623 
• Moliner, C., Martínez‑Tur, V., Peiró, J. M., & Ramos, J. (2005). Linking organizational justice to burnout: Are men and women different? Psychological Reports, 96(3), 805–816. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.96.3.805-816
• Serrat, O. (2017). Delegating in the Workplace. In: Knowledge Solutions. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0983-9_81
• Sullivan, A., & Hersh, C. (2023). Leadership inequity, burnout, and lower engagement of women in medicine. Journal of Psychology & Leadership, [or appropriate journal – see below]. Actually, the PubMed entry for this article is: Sullivan, A. L. & Hersh, C. (2023). Leadership Inequity, Burnout, and Lower Engagement of Women in Medicine. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000536 

👩🏽‍🏫 Guest Expert: 

Dr. Deepa is a feminist leadership coach, DEI consultant, and the founder of SpaceUpp, a justice driven people consultancy committed to equity in action. Through SpaceUpp, a social impact organization, she collaborates with institutions to build equitable, people-centered workplaces. She also mentors women to step into leadership, not by changing who they are, but by reclaiming the space that has always rightfully belonged to them. 

Follow Dr. Deepa on LinkedIn 

Follow her on Instagram

https://spaceupp.com/