From Lean In to Leaned On: The Workplace Trap No One Warned Women About

You were told to lean in. Work harder, say yes, show up, do more — and you'd be rewarded. But what if leaning in actually created a trap? In this episode of MissPerceived, Professor Leah Ruppanner unpacks one of the most important shifts she's hearing about in corporate interviews and research conversations around the world: the lean-in generation has quietly become the leaned-on generation. From office housework to being the unofficial encyclopedia of the workplace, Leah breaks down how women's competence, compliance, and care are being exploited — and what it's going to take to make that invisible labor finally visible. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction — were you sold the lean-in ideology? 01:30 The perverse outcome: lean in became lean on 02:22 Office housework — the unrenumerated work disproportionately given to women 03:00 The impossible choice: saying yes vs. saying no at work 04:40 How high-powered women executives protect other women — and the unintended cost 06:52 Making invisible exploitation visible in organizations 07:30 The London conversation: women as the unofficial office encyclopedia 09:20 How being leaned on fragments your work day and drains your mental load 11:00 The trap: competence leads to more leaning on, not more power 11:36 Three solutions: raise awareness, take a pause before asking, bring in male allies 13:00 What does this look like for your mental load at work? Resources Mentioned: 📘 Drained: Reduce Your Mental Load to Do Less and Be More — https://amzn.to/4tVRljQ 🧠 Free Mental Load Assessment — https://www.lightenlab.com Stay Connected with Leah: TikTok: @prof.leahruppanner Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.lightenlab.com Don't miss an episode! Subscribe NOW: /@missperceivedpodcast About MissPerceived: MissPerceived is a weekly podcast hosted by Professor Leah Ruppanner, sociologist and author of Drained. Each week, Leah breaks down the gender myths that shape our lives — from mental load and caregiving to relationships and identity. No PhD required. Just come hang out. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This description contains affiliate links. #MissPerceived #MentalLoad #LeanIn #WorkplaceEquality #Drained #ProfLeahRuppanner #WomenAtWork