Episode 629

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Published on:

9th Apr 2025

The Real Reason You’re Working Too Hard

What are the hidden costs of micromanaging and overworking on team morale and business outcomes?

This episode explores the main reasons why leaders often work too hard, including lack of trust, fear of failure, ego, habit, and being too busy to delegate. Bill argues that overworking is not a badge of honor but rather a sign of inadequate team building. 

Topics explored in this episode: 


(0:26) A Case Study in Micromanagement

* A new CEO's micromanaging during a company sale led to longer transition times and negative impacts on team morale. 


(2:54) The Five Reasons Why Leaders Overwork

* The five main reasons include lack of trust/perfectionism, fear of failure, ego/hero syndrome, habit (founder syndrome), and—you’ll have to listen to or watch the episode to find out the fifth! 

* Ego can drive leaders to seek out crises in which they can be the hero. 

 

(6:59) The Impact of Overworking

* Why overworking indicates a failure to build and empower a team. 


(8:22) Shifting Your Mindset

* Identifying the reasons for overworking is the first step toward changing those behaviors. 


(9:26) Creating a New “Why”

* Leaders can invent a new "why" to motivate themselves to adopt healthier work habits. 

* Coaching can help leaders shift their mindset and behaviors to build stronger teams and scale effectively.


Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the Scaling Up Business podcast, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth. 


Join Bill in the Growth Navigator Coaching Program: https://ScalingCoach.com/workshop 


Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/BillGall

Bill on YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/@BillGallagherScalingCoach 


Visit https://ScalingUp.com to learn more about Verne Harnish, our team of Scaling Up Coaches, and the Scaling Up Performance Platform, which includes coaching, learning, software, and summit. We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around people, strategy, execution, and cash so that they can scale up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. 

 

Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.


Subscribe via Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3PGhWPJ

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Bill on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billgall/ 

Bill on Twitter/X: https://x.com/billgall 


This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

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About the Podcast

Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher
Do you dream of an easier way to scale and grow your business? Do you wish you didn’t have to work so hard and put in as many hours? Do you find growth too slow, or hard to sustain?

This podcast—Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher—can help you achieve and maintain the growth you want.

A message from your host: “I’ve been in your shoes as a founder, CEO, and executive leader. I’ve coached and trained many leaders just like you over more than 15 years to grow their businesses successfully and profitably. But more than that, I’ve helped give them their time and sanity back. My core strength is making the growth process easier, faster, and way more fun.”

A dynamic thought leader, Bill talks with fascinating and brilliant guests each week, including visionary CEOs, trailblazing entrepreneurs, best-selling authors, renowned business strategists, and more.

Broadly, each episode focuses on one of the four major decision areas every entrepreneur and company must get right: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. More specifically, the show explores topics such as:

* Business Growth & Scaling.
* Customer Experience & Marketing.
* Innovation & Differentiation.
* Leadership Development.
* Delegation & Accountability.
* Vision & Strategy.
* Team Dynamics.
* Hiring & Talent Management.
* Company Culture.
* Employee Engagement.
* Crisis Management.
* Effective Communication.
* Influence & Persuasion.
* Business Strategies.

Running a business is ultimately about freedom. Subscribe to this podcast to learn how leaders like you can get your organizations moving in sync, create something significant, and still enjoy the ride. Subscribe if you want to elevate your business to unprecedented heights by tuning in to a masterclass in business excellence.

For information on Bill Gallagher’s coaching and training programs, and Scaling Up Workshops, visit www.ScalingCoach.com

About your host

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William Gallagher