This Isn't Working: How Working Women Can Overcome Stress, Guilt, and Overload to Find True Success

by Meghan French Dunbar

Overview

From leadership expert Meghan French Dunbar, “a timely and necessary book” (Deepa Purushothaman, author of The First, The Few, The Only) that shows business leaders and workers how to boost performance while improving workplaces for women, and, ultimately, everyone
 
Lean in. Rise and grind. Work smarter, not harder. Many books for women promise tips and tricks to achieve wealth and success in a business world made by men. But on the way to the top, most women leaders (and many men, too!) struggle with anxiety, stress, guilt, and burnout. Playing by the rules in a male-dominated game isn’t working—for anyone.  

This Isn’t Working inspires women to reexamine how we do business and shows there are much healthier, more fulfilling ways to succeed in the business world that don’t require sacrificing ourselves. In this book, Meghan French Dunbar shares the insights, frameworks, and practical advice she has learned from over a decade of work with impactful women business leaders, from start-up founders to multinational CEOs. She argues that it’s time to move beyond business cultures marked by competition and aggression and instead embrace healthier leadership and workplace practices, which are proven to yield better results.  

This Isn’t Working provides readers with an empathetic and honest business playbook for improving individual and business performance so that everyone can thrive. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541704886
Publisher:	PublicAffairs
Publication date:	08/05/2025
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Meghan French Dunbar is an entrepreneur, business journalist, speaker, thought leader, and women’s leadership expert whose work focuses on making business better for all. She has founded numerous ventures, including Conscious Company magazine, the World-Changing Women’s Summit, the Conscious Company Leaders Forum, TideTurn Labs, and Stakeholder Business. She lives in Boulder, Colorado, with her husband Scott and two children.

Editorial Reviews

We talk a lot about leadership, but we rarely talk about the cost of the way we lead. This book is a must-read for anyone serious about fixing the broken leadership model and building a better future for us all.”

—Rose Marcario, former CEO, Patagonia; partner, ReGen Ventures

“This book is a rallying cry for ambitious leaders to redefine what it truly means to reach success. It gives us permission to be human, to prioritize our needs, and to make an impact without sacrificing ourselves. It will leave you feeling empowered to do things differently and build a career that fuels you instead of depletes you—a must read!”

—Kristen Hadeed, author of Permission to Screw Up

“Too many brilliant leaders are burning out because the system wasn’t built for them to succeed. This Isn't Working is a game-changer for leaders who want to build high-impact careers without burning out themselves. The book provides the roadmap for better leadership and better workplaces that don’t just demand performance, but genuinely support it.”

—Morra Aarons-Mele, author of The Anxious Achiever

“A timely and necessary book that challenges outdated success norms and provides a bold, refreshing approach to leadership that is both ambitious and sustainable. If you’re tired of playing by rules that weren’t built for you, this book will show you a better way.” 

—Deepa Purushothaman, author of The First, The Few, The Only

“In This Isn’t Working, Meghan French Dunbar sets the record straight on why traditional models of work set women up to fail and offers a step-by-step guide for how women can chart their own path by rewriting the rules of leadership, reimagining work, and redefining career success. If you’ve ever said to yourself, ‘there’s got to be a different way to have a successful career,’ this book is for you.”

—Marianne Cooper, senior research scholar, VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab, Stanford University

“For too long, ambitious women have been told to change who they are to succeed in business. This book exposes why business itself is the problem and, more importantly, shows women how to lead on their own terms—without sacrificing themselves—and actually improve their results. A must-read for every working woman, and really all people working in business.”

—Sheryl O’Loughlin, cofounder and founding CEO, Plum Organics; author of Killing It

“Finally! A business book that acknowledges the unique realities for women leaders, that’s thoroughly readable and enjoyable, with lots of relatable anecdotes and ‘aha’ moments. If you want to feel both seen and uplifted, read this book!”

—Morgan Simon, founding partner, Candide Group

“Dunbar recommends that businesses pivot to a more holistic approach to leadership, in which teams make decisions together, and ultimately she calls for an end to workplace norms that aren’t working for everyone. Readers will be encouraged by her compassionate tone: ‘Your value is not contingent on how much you do. You’re inherently worthy as you are. Full stop.’ The result is a persuasive call for reform." —Publisher's Weekly

From the Publisher