We often assume that saying “no” will close doors to career opportunities. But staying focused on your purpose - and not allowing distractions to slow your momentum - can actually help you get ahead at work. You just need to learn where to invest your energies and how to set boundaries.

Leadership expert and executive coach Amy Jen Su believes creating boundaries can not only be beneficial to your career but can make you a better leader. In this interview, she shows you how to find your purpose and stick to it - giving techniques to safeguard against diversions and interruptions that might take you away from your goals. Whether you’re focusing on projects you’re leading or on building your career, Su demonstrates that setting boundaries helps you prioritize, keeps you energized, and sets you up for success.

Key takeaways:  

• Why you need to understand your own strengths and constraints when deciding what to work on
• How to communicate your priorities and establish guardrails to ensure your time and energy goes toward the things that matter most
• How to set work/home boundaries by designating work hours and zones
• How to handle boundary-setting with coworkers with grace

Amy Jen Su is the cofounder of Paravis Partners, an executive coaching and leadership development firm. She is the author of The Leader You Want to Be: Five Essential Principles to Bringing Out Your Best Self - Every Day and the coauthor of Own the Room: Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence. She holds a BA in psychology from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.