Strong Women Aren’t Burning Out Workplaces Are Breaking Them

Why are so many high-achieving women feeling exhausted, invisible, and on the verge of burnout?
In this power-packed episode of the Thrive Careers Podcast, Olajumoke Fatoki is joined by leadership expert and author Daria Rudnik for a bold and honest conversation on what it really takes to lead with strength, sanity, and trust—especially when you’re the only woman in the room.

Daria shares her personal journey from Deloitte to becoming Chief People Officer in a male-dominated boardroom, and how she found her voice without losing her identity. They explore:

• How to show up confidently as your authentic self
• Strategies for leading without burning out
• Building trust and autonomy within overloaded teams
• What leaders get wrong about AI—and how to use it without losing your human edge

This episode is packed with real talk, practical tools, and empowering advice for women in leadership and anyone navigating high-pressure workspaces. If you’re ready to lead with clarity and confidence in a world of constant change, this conversation is for you.

Guest: Daria Rudnik
Website: www.dariarudnik.com
LinkedIn: Daria Rudnik on LinkedIn

Topics Covered:

• [00:05] Welcome and episode introduction
• [05:00] Daria’s leadership journey: from HR to C-suite
• [07:20] What drives her work and passion for people
• [10:00] Finding your voice in male-dominated spaces
• [14:15] How to be heard without being loud
• [17:45] Leading with sanity: the burnout tightrope
• [20:00] The Clicking Method: 5 pillars of a self-sufficient team
• [23:50] Disruption and empowered teams vs. heroic leadership
• [26:30] The AI shift: How it changes team dynamics
• [30:00] Final thoughts: Let go of heroism, build real teams

🔑 Key Quotes:

“You don’t have to be visible in every meeting to be heard.”
 “You’re not responsible for all outcomes—just your actions.”
 “The era of heroic leadership is gone. Now it’s time for empowered teams.”

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome and episode introduction
• 24:58 Daria’s leadership journey: from HR to C-suite
• 24:58 Finding your voice in male-dominated spaces
• 24:58 How to be heard without being loud
• 24:58 Leading with sanity: the burnout tightrope
• 24:58 The Clicking Method: 5 pillars of a self-sufficient team
• 24:58 Disruption and empowered teams vs. heroic leadership
• 24:58 The AI shift: How it changes team dynamics
• 24:58 Final thoughts: Let go of heroism, build real teams

Transcript

Olajumoke Fatoki:
Hello everyone, and welcome to another power-packed episode of the Thrive Careers Podcast, where we unpack what it really takes to build fulfilling confidence and a future-ready career.

Today, we’re diving into a powerful topic: what it means to lead with strength, sanity, and trust—especially when you're the only woman in the room.

Because let’s be honest, leadership today isn’t just about performance. It’s about navigating overload, disruption, and the constant pressure to prove yourself in spaces that weren’t necessarily built with you in mind.

And to help us break this down, we have someone who hasn’t just talked the talk—she’s walked the walk.
 Daria Rudnik, thank you so much for joining us today! Can you introduce yourself briefly for our listeners?

Daria Rudnik:
Thanks, Ola. I'm really excited to be here and to speak to your amazing listeners.

My journey started at Deloitte. My background is in HR and organizational development. Over the years, I’ve worked with international companies, Fortune 500s, and fast-growing startups. Eventually, I became the Chief People Officer at a telecom company.

And like you mentioned—it was definitely an experience. I was the only woman on the executive team, sitting alongside the CEO, CTO, CFO, CMO… all men. It was challenging—but also incredibly eye-opening.

Olajumoke:
Amazing. What a journey. I can only imagine the audacity it takes to lead in such rooms. We’ll unpack more of that in a bit, but first—I’m curious:
What motivates you to do what you do? What keeps you going?

Daria:
That’s such a good question. I’ve been lucky to work for companies with great cultures—Deloitte, a Swedish bank, telecoms. But across all of them, one thing has stayed the same: I care deeply about how people feel at work.

My mission has always been to create workplaces where people feel good—because when we feel good, we perform better, collaborate better, and create amazing products. It’s about building thriving, human-centered workplaces.

Olajumoke:
So true. Work is where we spend most of our productive hours—if you’re unhappy there, it affects your whole life.

Now, let’s get into the heart of our conversation:
 What has your experience taught you about being the only woman in the room, and how has that shaped your leadership style?

Daria:
At first, it was confusing. I kept wondering:
Should I be more assertive? Should I be softer? Should I “act” like a leader, or just be myself?

I saw female leaders go in both directions—some became more aggressive, others overly nurturing. None of those felt fully authentic to me. So eventually, I realized:
 I need to lead as myself.
Not someone’s idea of what a woman leader should be. Just me.

Even in great cultures, bias exists—sometimes unconsciously. I'd hear comments like, “Wow, that’s great—for a woman.” I learned not to make every moment a conflict, but to address things thoughtfully, often one-on-one.

Confidence comes from owning who you are. And finding your own way to lead.

Olajumoke:
I love that. Leaning into who you are is so important.

Can you share some practical tips? What did it actually look like to show up as yourself and be seen?

Daria:
Great question. One of the biggest challenges—especially for introverts—is being visible without feeling like you have to dominate every meeting.

Here’s what worked for me—and what I teach my clients:

📌 Before a meeting: Reach out to key decision-makers. Share your ideas early. Ask how you can support the meeting. When they’ve already heard your thoughts, they’re more likely to create space for you during the actual session.

📌 After a meeting: If you didn’t get a chance to speak up, follow up. Send additional thoughts. Reinforce your value outside the pressure of a big group.

📌 Visibility doesn’t just happen in the meeting. It happens before, during, and after—through intentional, strategic communication.

Olajumoke:
That’s such a powerful insight. So, let’s shift a bit.

Women are often juggling so much—careers, home life, leadership. In today’s high-pressure environment, many are walking a tightrope between strength and burnout.

How can women lead with sanity, not just strength?

Daria:
I feel that deeply—as a mother, a business owner, and someone who's been in corporate leadership.

What’s helped me most is giving myself permission to be human.

I'm not responsible for everything. I can’t control the weather. Or if my child gets sick. Or if someone at work makes a mistake.

I can only take responsibility for what I do—how I show up, how I solve problems.

And I always protect time to recharge—whether that’s a quiet coffee, a walk, or doing nothing. We can’t give from an empty cup.

Olajumoke:
Absolutely. That’s such a good reminder: You are not responsible for all outcomes.

Now let’s talk about your Clicking Method from your new book. You help leaders build self-sufficient teams—especially when they feel overloaded. Walk us through that.

Daria:
Yes! The Clicking Method is about building autonomous teams—so leaders aren’t the bottleneck.

Many leaders are overwhelmed, while their teams feel disengaged. That’s often a system issue, not a people issue.

Here are the 5 pillars of the Clicking Method:

1. Clear Purpose – Why are we a team? What’s our shared goal?
2. Linking Connections – Are team members connected, or only to the leader?
3. Integrated Work – What are our norms and systems for working together?
4. Collaborative Decisions – Who decides what? How do we share ownership?
5. Knowledge Sharing – How do we learn and grow as a team?

When you have all five, the team clicks—and the leader doesn’t have to carry everything alone.

Olajumoke:
Incredible. That’s so practical. And so needed.

Now let’s talk about disruption—because it’s everywhere. Whether it’s AI, new work models, or economic shifts, things are changing fast.

How can leaders help teams thrive in such uncertainty?

Daria:
I love this question.

Many leaders try to shield their teams from disruption—standing alone in front of challenges like heroes. But that approach is outdated.

Instead, we need empowered teams, not heroic leaders.

The best thing leaders can do is bring their team into the problem-solving process. More minds = better solutions. Let your team face reality with you—and navigate it together.

Olajumoke:
Yes! Together Everyone Achieves More. That’s real teamwork.

And speaking of disruption—we can’t leave without talking about AI.

You’ve spoken a lot about the intersection of AI and human systems. So, what do leaders get wrong about AI? And how can women in leadership position themselves during this next wave?

Daria:
Most leaders see AI as purely technological—just tools and automation. But AI actually changes team dynamics and how we think.

There’s a study called Your Brain on ChatGPT that shows:

• If you think first, then use AI to refine ideas—you stay engaged.
• But if you let AI think first, your brain checks out—and you lose ownership of the outcome.

That’s why it’s crucial to create team norms for using AI. Everyone needs to stay in the loop, critically evaluate outputs, and use AI as a collaborator, not a crutch.

Olajumoke:
That’s such a fresh perspective. I love how you framed it.

So, as we wrap up, where can our listeners find you and your work?

Daria:
I’d love to connect! You can find me on LinkedIn, or visit my website: www.dariarudnik.com

There, you’ll find resources, tools, and of course, a link to my book, Clicking.

Olajumoke:
Amazing. Final words of wisdom before we let you go?

Daria:
Yes—just this:

Leadership isn't about being a hero.
 It’s about building teams that can face challenges with you.

The era of heroic leadership is over. It’s time for empowered teams.

Olajumoke:
Beautiful. Thank you so much, Daria, for this powerful conversation.

And to all our listeners—thank you for tuning in! I hope you’re leaving with actionable tips to help you lead, thrive, and build a future-ready career.

Until next time—keep thriving!