Every Yes Has a Cost — Learning the Power of No

Hands up if you’ve ever started an email or text with: “I’m sorry, but…” or “My apologies…” 🙋🏻‍♀️

I have certainly struggled with this as a people pleaser who was brought up to always be pleasant and considerate.

Then I realised something important: “No is a complete sentence.”

Saying no doesn’t mean being rude or unkind. It means respecting your time, your boundaries, and your energy. And when we say no with clarity and kindness, people often respect us more, not less.

Here are some phrases I’ve learned to use that balance assertiveness with politeness in real situations:
💼 At work (too many requests): “Thanks for thinking of me, but I don’t have the bandwidth to take this on right now.”
👥 In meetings (when you have concerns): “Help me understand your perspective further—I have some concerns I’d like to share so we can align on the best way forward.”
🏡 Personally (social invites when you need rest): “Thanks for inviting me. I’ll pass this time, but I really appreciate it.”
💻 With clients (scope creep): “That’s outside the scope of what we agreed on. Happy to discuss how we can add it in with revised timelines.”

It took me years to understand this: every time I said yes when I wanted to say no, I was betraying myself a little. Learning to say no—firmly but respectfully—has been one of the most liberating leadership skills I’ve developed.

👉 How about you—what’s one situation where learning to say no changed things for you?

#Leadership #Boundaries #SelfGrowth #Assertiveness #WorkplaceWellbeing