26. When Good Intentions Go Wrong

In this episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey sits down with EOS Implementer Carolyn Mitchell for an honest conversation about leadership, ego, and the hidden cost of trying to help too much.
Carolyn shares a moment many leaders will recognize. As the unofficial “company therapist,” she believed stepping in and sharing sensitive information was for the greater good. Instead, it backfired. The employee she tried to protect walked it back, leaving Carolyn exposed, frustrated, and humbled. What felt like service was actually ego at work. The need to fix, to be needed, and to save the day created more dysfunction, not less.
The lesson is simple and hard-earned. Great leaders coach people to speak for themselves instead of carrying their burdens. Growth happens when leaders pause, listen, and ask whether the problem is truly theirs to solve. Sometimes the best leadership move is letting go and letting it be easy.

 

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Carolyn Mitchell
02:08 Career Journey: Engineer to EOS Implementer
08:39 The Unofficial Company Therapist
12:09 Ego and the Hero Complex
19:02 Learning to Pause and Listen
23:33 Coaching vs. Fixing, and Tattoos

 

About: 
Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.
 
Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time.
 
Show Links
For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below.
Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/
Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: 
https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional 
Beth's Youtube: 
https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos 

Guest Links:
Website:  https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/carolyn-mitchell/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-mitchell-coach

Carolyn Mitchell is an EOS® Implementer, business coach, and speaker with a background in sales and marketing leadership. She’s been in the founder and leadership seats, implemented EOS, and now helps teams build clarity, accountability, and trust. She’s also a personal development junkie, a certified yoga teacher and believer in leadership that grows people, not just results.

Sponsor Links
Thanks to our Sponsors
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:

Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.

Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.