The Power of Boundaries:

Joey Crampton

CPA, Professional Certified Coach, Educator, Métis♾️, Guitarist🎸

June 14, 2025

A Winnipeg Business Leader’s Guide to Sustainable Leadership

You’re deep into an important project, fully focused, when suddenly — an employee interrupts with a question. You help them, trying to get back on track, but then the phone rings. A customer has a request. It’s not urgent, but do you handle it now or add it to your task list? Before you decide, your phone dings—a fellow entrepreneur friend just messaged you. You figure you better check if it’s urgent... Sound familiar?

If so, you’re not alone. As a CEO of a growing business in Manitoba, it often feels like the world is pulling you in a thousand directions. Employees, clients, partners, family—everyone needs a piece of your time and attention. But without strong boundaries, you’ll constantly feel like you’re drowning in competing priorities.

That’s why boundary-setting isn’t just a nice idea—it’s a survival skill.

Why Winnipeg's Small Business Leaders Must Master Boundaries

You’re steering the ship, managing operations, leading the team, and putting out fires when necessary. But if you don’t set limits, work will seep into every corner of your life, leading to stress, exhaustion, and frustration.

So, how can you stay focused on the big-picture CEO tasks we discussed last meeting—especially when distractions and requests seem endless? The answer lies in setting boundaries.

What Are Boundaries?

Think of boundaries as guardrails—they help keep you on the road to success without steering into overwhelm. Boundaries define what’s acceptable in your interactions, responsibilities, and expectations. Without them, you risk burnout, inefficiency, and blurred roles.

Here are the four essential types of boundaries every Manitoba Small Business CEO should establish:

• Time Boundaries: Protecting your schedule so work doesn’t consume your personal life

• Emotional Boundaries: Separating personal feelings from business decisions

• Relational Boundaries: Knowing when and how to engage with employees, clients, and partners

• Operational Boundaries: Defining tasks, delegation, and expectations within the company

The Cost of Weak Boundaries

Growing your business with limited resources means juggling multiple roles. Without clear boundaries, you’ll find yourself stuck in the daily grind—responding to emails at midnight, doing tasks that should be delegated, and sacrificing valuable time.

Without boundaries, here’s what happens:

• Burnout: Constantly working without breaks leads to exhaustion.

• Decision Overload: Trying to do everything prevents strategic focus.

• Team Dependence: Employees lean on you for everything, which stifles innovation.

• Diluted Leadership: When you’re stretched too thin, your ability to lead suffers.

How to Set Boundaries That Stick

1. Define Your Non-Negotiables What matters most to you—family, self-care, focused work hours? Set clear priorities and commit to protecting them.

2. Communicate Clearly Let employees and stakeholders know your availability and expectations. Boundaries only work when people know them!

3. Learn to Say No Saying no doesn’t make you a bad leader—it makes you an intentional one. If a request doesn’t align with your priorities, politely decline or delegate.

"Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves even when we risk disappointing others.” – Brené Brown