Navigating Over-Responsibility: Balancing Leadership in Changing Times
What's one responsibility you're currently holding that, if you're honest, probably belongs to someone else?
Are you a high-performing entrepreneur or business leader who always steps in, fills the gaps, and gets it done — even when it means taking on more than your share? In this episode of Leadership With a Twist, hosts Heather McGonigal and Barbara Schindler unpack the hidden cost of over-responsibility and give you a clear, practical framework to find your way back to balance.
If you lead in a small to mid-size entrepreneurial business, your role likely has blurry edges. Launches, big projects, and fast growth mean everyone rolls up their sleeves — and somewhere in that blur, high performers start carrying weight that was never meant to be theirs.
In this conversation, Heather and Barbara cover:
- Why high performers default to over-responsibility — and why that habit keeps you stuck
- The Power of the Pause: how to stop, recalibrate, and think clearly before you act
- Discernment: the leadership skill of deciding whether YOU are the best resource
- How to renegotiate timelines, delegate effectively, and bring in the right resources
- Why releasing responsibility to your team is one of the most powerful things you can do as a leader
Whether you are an entrepreneur, COO, department head, or emerging leader, this episode gives you real tools to recognize when you are over-giving — and what to do about it. Tune in and ask yourself: are you doing your part, or more than your part?
00:00 Welcome and Topic
00:31 Why Over Responsibility
02:10 Entrepreneurial Blur
04:00 Power of the Pause
06:05 Discernment and Resourcing
07:45 When Easy Gets Hard
11:44 Compassion and Communication
13:50 Anchor in Role Clarity
16:52 Renegotiate Resources
20:04 Stop Holding Team Back
23:12 Key Takeaways and Close
24:43 Invitation and Sign Off
About the Hosts: Coach Heather and Coach Barbara are the lead Executive Coaches of Empowering Leadership Teams. They specialize in helping entrepreneurial businesses and their teams meet the moment and become the most empowered they can be to work together and achieve optimal results. With deep expertise in leadership development, team dynamics, and navigating organizational transition, they bring practical, actionable wisdom to leaders facing the challenges of today's rapidly changing business environment.
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