What are the Hidden Costs of Overwork?

Apr 23, 2025

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What if your relentless hard work is actually costing your business more than it’s helping?

In this episode, Bill explores the hidden costs of overwork, particularly when leaders confuse effort with effectiveness. He shares a cautionary tale of a CEO who pushed too hard, micromanaged excessively, and ultimately failed—highlighting how unchecked hustle undermines both personal well-being and team performance.

Topics explored in this episode:

(0:42) The Hidden Price of Hustle

* Overwork has obvious personal costs, but its impact on the business is often overlooked.

(2:40) The CEO Who Couldn’t Let Go

* The story of a SaaS CEO who tried to control every part of the company, despite lacking expertise in many areas.

* A promising company failed due to leadership that was anxious and overreaching.

(5:27) From Hero to Enabler

* True success comes not from doing everything, but from rallying a capable team.

(6:38) The Real Cost of Doing It All

* Personal sacrifices become habitual and ultimately unsustainable.

* Overworking leaders limit their organization’s potential by suppressing ownership and innovation.

(8:30) Redesigning Leadership for Scale

* Leaders who are central to every decision become bottlenecks.

* Overworking doesn’t inspire teams—it demoralizes them.

* Evolving leadership is the key to scaling without personal burnout.

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.

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