Influence & Impact for Leaders Ep 190: The Leadership Trap: Doing instead of Leading
Sep 8, 2025
Leaders getting stuck in day-to-day tasks instead of shaping long-term direction. How strategic work looks and why people gravitate to doing over leading. Costs of staying in the weeds, from burnout to missed opportunities. Clear signs you are too operational and practical ways to build a self-sufficient team. Tips for creating space and routines for focused strategic time.
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Episode notes
Holiday Bike Mishap At Bluestone
- Carla shared a family holiday to Bluestone where biking uphill was tougher than expected and golf buggies would have been better.
- This personal story humanises the episode and opens the main topic with relatable context.
Operational Work Versus Strategic Oversight
- Operational leadership focuses on hands-on firefighting and task management in the short term.
- Strategic leadership creates oversight, stops recurring fires, and focuses on medium-to-long-term direction and relationships.
Why Leaders Prefer Doing Over Leading
- Leaders stay in doing mode because tangible tasks give quick satisfaction and ego boosts from solving problems themselves.
- This comfort zone often stems from past praise for individual contribution and makes leading through others feel risky.