Overfunctioning is a path to burnout.
- Linda Rhoads
- Oct 20
- 4 min read
When High Capacity Becomes Too Much.
We don’t talk enough about what over-functioning really costs.
Not just the exhaustion.
Not just the 2 a.m. wake-ups or inbox avoidance or brain fog that won’t lift.
The real cost?
It chips away at your confidence, clarity, and sense of self—especially when your leadership has been built on performance and proof.
And it doesn’t happen because you’re not strong enough.
It happens because you’ve been too strong for too long.
And it can happen when you start to believe the hype that successful people don’t need balance.
Why high-achieving women feel the strain first
If you’ve ever felt like you had to work twice as hard to earn half the recognition, you’re not imagining it.
Many women in leadership have built careers on exceeding expectations, adapting to impossible standards, and quietly carrying the emotional and logistical load that keeps teams and organizations running.
You become the go-to.
As a whole-person coach, I know this doesn’t stop at the office.
You bring home your drive, your ambition, your need to handle it all.
The one who can manage it.
The one who holds it all.
Until you can’t.
This isn’t about burnout. It’s what happens before.
Most of the women I coach are skilled, resilient, and brilliant.
They’re not burned out—but many are approaching the edge of depletion.
Not because they can’t lead, but because they’ve been performing to gain and keep their credibility for so long, they’ve forgotten what it feels like to lead and live from their center.
You:
Say yes when your gut says no
Absorb work others should be accountable for
Power through when your body is begging for a break
Question yourself more than you challenge broken systems
And because you’re capable, the system keeps rewarding you… with more.
More responsibility.
More pressure.
And because you’re exhausted—more invisibility.
It’s not a reward.
It’s an efficiency hack: give it to the person with endless capacity.
The internal story beneath the strain
This isn’t just about workload.
It’s about the story underneath.
Stories like:
“If I slow down, I’ll fall behind.”
“I have to prove I’m worth my seat.”
“If I say ‘no,’ I might jeopardize my career—or be passed over for a promotion.”
“It’s easier to do it myself.”
“I don’t want to seem difficult or ungrateful.”
These beliefs often take root in early career experiences—or the subtle messaging women receive about being helpful, likable, and non-disruptive. Left unexamined, they turn into silent agreements you never meant to sign. If any are familiar to you, please know, they can quickly flip into burnout.
The shift: From output to alignment
We’ve been taught to manage everything—except our own energy.
But real leadership starts with knowing what to trade, and what to protect.
This doesn’t mean walking away from ambition.
It means choosing a version of success that honors your values, protects your clarity, and sustains your presence.
Authentic leadership isn’t powered by depletion.
It’s powered by discernment, rhythm, and inner clarity.
That’s the work I do with women every day:
Reconnecting with your internal compass
Naming the values you’ve been sidelining
Building rhythms that allow you to lead without abandoning yourself
You don’t need to prove your worth by pushing to the brink.
You need space to lead from your truth.
What this means for leadership today
The best leaders aren’t the ones who never falter.
They’re the ones who know how to pause, reset, and realign. And they do it without shame. Internal criticism, or imposter syndrome that drives them back to their old habits.
When we stop normalizing exhaustion, we make space for something deeper:
Leadership that’s rooted, not rushed.
Success that’s integrated, not performative.
Impact that comes from authenticity, not overdrive.
And when you figure it out in one aspect of your life, it becomes a template for all other aspects, including the most challenging.
Your Turn
Where are you holding more than your share?
At home, at work, both or some other part of your life?
What would shift if you stopped seeing depletion as a necessary side effect of success?
You’re allowed to lead differently. In fact, you’re needed.
💬 Want more insight like this?
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✨Or follow Linda on LinkedIn or visit The Soul Spot for more insights.
This post is part of Unlearning to Lead: Reclaiming the Way Forward for Women in Leadership—a blog series exploring the invisible rules many women carry, and what it takes to lead from authenticity instead of adaptation.
Linda coaches high-achieving women, drawing from 20+ years of leadership, including confidential executive advising and Chief of Staff roles. As a certified executive coach (PCC), she empowers women to move beyond self-doubt, cultivating leadership presence and sustainable rhythms for fulfillment.
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