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The Leadership Lie That’s Burning Women Out (And What Actually Works) with Theresa Bailey
Description
What if burnout isn’t a personal failure—but a system design flaw?
This week on Transforming 45, Lisa sits down with leadership disruptor Theresa Bailey, founder of Starfish Synergies and North America’s partner for Play-Doh Power Solutions (yes, really).
What starts as a surprising conversation about Play-Doh quickly becomes a powerful exploration of leadership, burnout, workplace culture, and why we can’t think our way out of feeling problems.
This episode connects the dots between how we lead, how we work, and why midlife women are quietly walking away from workplaces that were never designed for them.
🎧 New episodes drop every Thursday. Listen on all podcast platforms + YouTube.
What You'll Learn:
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Why traditional leadership models are failing (especially for women in midlife)
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The real reason burnout is skyrocketing across sectors
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How disconnection from the body impacts communication and culture
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Why “fixing communication” doesn’t mean more meetings or emails
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The leadership move that can shift your team starting tomorrow
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How workplaces can retain experienced women instead of losing them
Key Take Aways
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You can’t think your way out of feeling problems
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Burnout is often a system issue—not an individual weakness
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Psychological safety is the foundation of effective teams
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Small changes (when people feel heard) rebuild trust fast
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Leadership isn’t about control—it’s about connection
Episode Chapters
00:00 Why Play-Doh is disrupting leadership
03:00 Burnout, the body, and why thinking harder isn’t working
07:00 Why workplaces wait for problems instead of preventing them 09:00 Leadership styles that are no longer effective
12:00 Women in leadership, armor, and internalized pressure
16:00 The power of leaders participating with their teams
20:00 Menopause, midlife, and the workforce exodus
24:00 Communication breakdowns (and what’s really happening)
28:00 Why one-off workshops don’t create change
32:00 The simplest leadership shift you can make tomorrow
37:00 Final reflection: building systems for humans
About Theresa Bailey
Theresa Bailey is the founder of Starfish Synergies and the exclusive North American partner for Play-Doh Power Solutions. She helps organizations rethink leadership, communication, and burnout by bringing people out of their heads and into real human connection.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresabailey/
Website: www.starfishsynergies.com
Book a call: https://calendly.com/theresa-bailey/time-with-theresa Let's Stay Connected Website: https://www.liberatedmenopause.ca Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lboate Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/leaninfindyourwayhome/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/245092311417467
📧 lisa@liberatedmenopause.ca
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