Creating Boundaries to Get Ahead

by Amy Jen Su (Author & Narrator), Joniece Abbot-Pratt (Narrator)

We often assume that saying “no” will close doors to career opportunities. But staying focused on your purpose - and not allowing distractions to slow your momentum - can actually help you get ahead at work. You just need to learn where to invest your energies and how to set boundaries.

Leadership expert and executive coach Amy Jen Su believes creating boundaries can not only be beneficial to your career but can make you a better leader. In this interview, she shows you how to find your purpose and stick to it - giving techniques to safeguard against diversions and interruptions that might take you away from your goals. Whether you’re focusing on projects you’re leading or on building your career, Su demonstrates that setting boundaries helps you prioritize, keeps you energized, and sets you up for success.

Key takeaways:

Why you need to understand your own strengths and constraints when deciding what to work on
How to communicate your priorities and establish guardrails to ensure your time and energy goes toward the things that matter most
How to set work/home boundaries by designating work hours and zones
How to handle boundary-setting with coworkers with grace

Genres: Business

Audible Audio

Published September 16, 2021

About the author

For almost two decades, Amy Jen Su has worked with CEOs, executives, and rising stars in organizations to sustain and scale their best as they lead organizational growth and transformation. She is Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Paravis Partners, a premier executive coaching and leadership development firm.

Amy is the author of  The Leader You Want to Be: Five Essential Principles for Bringing Out Your Best Self - Every Day (Harvard Business Review Press 2019) which draws on her extensive experience serving industries such as biotechnology, private equity, financial services, software, consumer, and media. She is also co-author of the Washington Post bestseller Own the Room: Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence (Harvard Business Review Press 2013), and is a frequent contributor on HBR.org.

Amy holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in psychology from Stanford University, graduating from both with honors and distinctions.

Reviews

[Rebee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This very short interview/podcast/book focuses on boundaries as they pertain to business and businesspeople. It is a reasonably good introduction to boundaries but not necessarily apt for all people who want to learn about boundaries. It doesn't discuss setting boundaries as they pertain to social and romantic relationships. Though it never promised to. As an introduction to the topic, there are probably better books. If you have a grounding in boundaries and want to see how to establish them in a business context, then this is a good book to explore that topic.

[Shamim Hafiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick audiobook for a break time listen. Initial five minutes, I thought the book is going to be dull but there were few concrete examples of life which might give you a new dimension to think about prioritizing and setting a cut back on expectations. Worth a read!

[Biggest Little Book Talker · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are so many other books that explain boundaries in the work place or in life better then this. It’s only 25 minutes, but it’s 25 minutes of your life you don’t need to waste reading this book.
Just do a search online with this title/ header and you will find more.

[Lynette Ackman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short listen (about 30 minutes). Really liked it. Putting two other (longer) books by Amy Jen Su on my wish list.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it rather meh as some things were basic. Also it was so work-based I didn't feel much was applicable.

[AttackGirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

How not to work

[Bhupesh Doda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vague

[Jude · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic program. Setting boundaries and saying "yes" to often is something that I've always struggled with. I found a lot of value in the author's tips for creating boundaries in a professional, polite, and kind manner.