When Networking Feels Personal: The Hidden Impact of RSD on Female Leaders

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) is an intense emotional response to perceived rejection or criticism. While it’s often discussed in the context of ADHD, many high-achieving women experience its patterns especially in networking environments.

For female leaders, networking already carries risk. You’re walking into rooms where power dynamics are real, seniority gaps are visible, and the stakes feel high. RSD turns neutral interactions into personal verdicts. A delayed email response becomes “I must have said something wrong.” A distracted glance becomes “I sounded stupid.” Not being immediately included becomes “I don’t belong here.”

That internal spiral is costly. It leads to over-preparing, over-explaining, people-pleasing, or avoiding follow-up altogether. Talented women shrink in rooms they’ve earned the right to occupy.

Here’s how to move past it:

1. Separate data from story.
Train yourself to ask: What actually happened? What assumptions am I making? Most networking discomfort is ambiguity, not rejection.

2. Shorten the recovery window.
RSD isn’t about never feeling the sting. It’s about how fast you return to center. Create a 2-sentence reframe you use every time: “This is normal discomfort. My value isn’t on trial.”

3. Redefine the goal.
Networking is not a performance. It’s information exchange. Shift from “Did they like me?” to “Did I learn something useful?”

4. Build exposure reps.
Confidence follows evidence. Commit to one small outreach per week. Track responses. You’ll discover rejection is far rarer than your nervous system predicts.

Female leaders don’t need thicker skin. They need better mental models. When you stop interpreting every room as a judgment on your worth, you start using it as a platform for influence.