It's Not My Job: When to Help and When to Walk Away with Myra Hall
No More Leadership BS
It's Not My Job: When to Help and When to Walk Away with Myra Hall
December 26, 2025
Everything is my responsibility as a leader, but that doesn't mean I have to do everything." This distinction separates great leaders from martyrs. This week's episode unpacks when to step in, when to step back, and how to build a team that doesn't need you to play Superman every single day. Because if your team can't function without you constantly saving them? You haven't built a team—you've built a dependency problem. Listen now 🎧

When "It's Not My Job" Becomes Your Biggest Leadership Problem
We've all heard it—that cringe-inducing phrase that makes every leader's eye twitch: "It's not my job." But here's the plot twist: sometimes they're right, and sometimes you're the problem for taking on their monkey in the first place.

This episode tackles the delicate dance between being a supportive leader and becoming everyone's problem-solving doormat. Spoiler alert: if you're more invested in your team's success than they are, you're not leading—you're enabling.


The Monkey on Your Back: When Helping Becomes Harmful
The hosts dissect the classic workplace scenario: someone drops by your office, unloads their problem, and suddenly you're carrying their monkey. The hard truth? The minute you step in to solve it instead of coaching them through it, you've crossed the line from leader to crutch. The result? Overwhelm, burnout, and a team that can't function without you playing Superman.

But there's nuance here. When someone calls because they've been in a car accident? That's an emergency—you help. When someone chronically underperforms and you keep covering for them? That's enablement, and it's toxic for everyone involved.


Everything Is Your Responsibility (But Not Your Job)
Here's the distinction that separates great leaders from martyrs: as a leader, everything your team does is your responsibility, but that doesn't mean you have to physically do it all. Your job is creating an environment where people can solve their own problems and choose to be successful.

The coaching approach wins every time: "What's the issue? How does it affect you? What do you think you should do?" These questions build capability. Jumping in to fix everything builds dependency and resentment from high performers who watch you coddle the weak links.


The Real Cost of Being Everyone's Safety Net
Covering poor performance doesn't just burn you out—it demoralizes your entire team. Whatever you put up with, you allow. Every time you say yes to rescuing someone, you're saying no to developing them, supporting your high performers, and focusing on actual leadership priorities.

The episode shares powerful examples of leaders who learned this lesson the hard way: friendships lost, health compromised, and ultimately having to leave organizations because they were killing themselves doing other people's jobs.

The Bottom Line: Stop being a hero and start being a coach. Your job isn't to carry everyone's monkeys—it's to teach them how to handle their own zoo.

Tune in for:

Bottom line: If you're doing your team's job for them, you're failing at your own.

Have questions,  suggestions or just a great story to tell about some Leadership BS you have experienced? Let us know by emailing us 

Today's Featured Coach - 

  • Myra Hall - Individual and Team Coaching, Midlife Mentoring- Helping you get excited about life again as you overcome the things that keep you from living and loving a life that counts. - Owner/Founder Waypoint Coaching Group Reach Myra at [email protected] or 765-623-9711


The rest of the gang: