podqast

The Hidden Cost of Always Saying Yes | A Bit of Optimism: Feelings at Work | PART 1

A Bit of Optimism58 min
AboutEducation

Welcome to Feelings at Work, a special series from A Bit of Optimism with Simon Sinek.

Work isn't just about deadlines, meetings, and getting things done. It's also where we experience frustration, excitement, trust, anxiety, belonging, conflict, and joy. If we want to build healthier teams and better workplaces, we have to get better at understanding the emotions that shape how we work together.

That's what this series is about.

In each episode, Simon Sinek sits down with Yale professor and Lifeshop founder Alex Simon to explore one emotional challenge that affects how we work, lead, and relate to one another. Together, they unpack the emotional skills most of us were never taught—but use every single day.

This episode is about saying yes.

Have you ever agreed to something... and immediately regretted it?

Maybe you didn't want to disappoint someone. Maybe you thought, I'll figure it out somehow. Maybe your calendar is packed, your to-do list never gets shorter, and somehow you're still worried you're letting people down.

Most of us don't think of ourselves as "people pleasers."

We just want to be helpful. We want to be dependable. We want to be someone others can count on.

But what if constantly saying yes is actually making things harder—for you and everyone around you?

Together, Simon and Alex explore why so many thoughtful, capable people take on more than they can realistically handle. They unpack the hidden patterns that lead to overwhelm, resentment, and burnout—and why trying to keep everyone happy can quietly make us less reliable.

The good news? This is a skill we can learn.

In this conversation, you'll discover practical ways to communicate more honestly, set healthier boundaries, and build stronger relationships—without feeling selfish or letting people down.

In this episode you'll learn:
➡️ Why saying yes too often can actually make you less reliable
➡️ The hidden connection between overwhelm, burnout, and self-betrayal
➡️ The simple phrase that creates space before committing
➡️ A better alternative to saying yes or no: how to "share the dilemma"
➡️ What leaders can do to create teams where people feel safe telling the truth
➡️ Why healthy boundaries strengthen relationships instead of hurting them

Whether you call it people pleasing or simply trying to keep up with everyone else's expectations, this conversation is a reminder that taking care of yourself isn't selfish.

It's one of the best ways to show up for the people who matter.

This... is A Bit of Optimism.

+ + +

Chapters
Chapters

+ + +

Website:http://simonsinek.com/
Leaderful: https://simonsinek.com/leaderful
Podcast:http://apple.co/simonsinek
Instagram:https://instagram.com/simonsinek/
Linkedin:https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/simonsinek
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek

+ + +
About Alex Simon
Alex Simon is a Yale professor and the founder of Lifeshop, a school for adult emotional education. She teaches the emotional and communication skills we all should've learned in school—but didn't.
She facilitates experiential workshops on how to have hard conversations, stop people pleasing, listen better, navigate major life transitions, and build hea

Also about education
Every episode about Education
More from A Bit of Optimism