The Hero Trap: Why You Are The Problem
Thu Feb 05 2026
What if the thing making you feel most needed in your business is actually the thing stopping it from growing?
I sit down with Bill Flynn, someone who's survived IPOs, acquisitions and proper business chaos, to unpack the hero trap. If you're the one who fixes everything, closes every deal and makes every decision, this one's for you.
It feels productive. It feels like leadership. But it quietly turns you into the bottleneck.
We talk about why leaders default back to control mode when pressure hits, why most leadership advice doesn't work in the real world, and what it looks like when your team stops waiting for permission and starts running things without you.
Bill is the the Author of the best selling book 'Further, Faster' and is part of the Marshall Goldsmith's 100 coaches community.
Five Reasons to Listen
Learn how to spot when you've become the answer to everything and what that costs your team
Improve decision making so people can move fast without needing you in every conversation
Break the firefighting cycle and stop being the centre of every problem and approval
Build simple structure that makes your business feel calmer, sharper and easier to scale
Get your time back by cutting the work that drains you using a simple love and loathe filter
Want to exit your business but unsure where to start?
Take the ‘Exit readiness assessment’ and find out the gaps of what you need to do to plan your exit strategy confidently. Click on the link here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com
Chapters
00:00 The Hero Trap: Understanding Leadership Challenges
09:36 The Shift from Controller to Builder
18:42 The Importance of Self-Awareness in Leadership
27:53 Breaking the Cycle of Hero Addiction
33:41 Transitioning into Marketing Leadership
35:04 Creating Structures for Effective Leadership
38:49 The Importance of Meeting Protocols
39:53 Influential Voices in Leadership
42:22 Defining True Leadership
43:03 Coaching Session: Shifting Mindsets
45:39 Crafting a Compelling Vision
49:36 The Art of Storytelling in Vision
55:17 Energy Management for Leaders
59:11 Preview of Upcoming Book
ABOUT OUR SPONSORWorried if your exit number is enough to fund your lifestyle after exiting your business? Take the cash out with confidence assessment and identify the gaps in your wealth plan. Go to:
https://cash-out-with-confidence.scoreapp.com
ABOUT THE HOST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong
Website: https://adamstrong.net
ABOUT THE GUEST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billflynnpublic/
Full CBA assessment for facilitators and leaders - https://catalystgrowthadvisors.com/cba-assessment-download-enter-email-here
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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What if the thing making you feel most needed in your business is actually the thing stopping it from growing? I sit down with Bill Flynn, someone who's survived IPOs, acquisitions and proper business chaos, to unpack the hero trap. If you're the one who fixes everything, closes every deal and makes every decision, this one's for you. It feels productive. It feels like leadership. But it quietly turns you into the bottleneck. We talk about why leaders default back to control mode when pressure hits, why most leadership advice doesn't work in the real world, and what it looks like when your team stops waiting for permission and starts running things without you. Bill is the the Author of the best selling book 'Further, Faster' and is part of the Marshall Goldsmith's 100 coaches community. Five Reasons to Listen Learn how to spot when you've become the answer to everything and what that costs your team Improve decision making so people can move fast without needing you in every conversation Break the firefighting cycle and stop being the centre of every problem and approval Build simple structure that makes your business feel calmer, sharper and easier to scale Get your time back by cutting the work that drains you using a simple love and loathe filter Want to exit your business but unsure where to start? Take the ‘Exit readiness assessment’ and find out the gaps of what you need to do to plan your exit strategy confidently. Click on the link here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com Chapters 00:00 The Hero Trap: Understanding Leadership Challenges 09:36 The Shift from Controller to Builder 18:42 The Importance of Self-Awareness in Leadership 27:53 Breaking the Cycle of Hero Addiction 33:41 Transitioning into Marketing Leadership 35:04 Creating Structures for Effective Leadership 38:49 The Importance of Meeting Protocols 39:53 Influential Voices in Leadership 42:22 Defining True Leadership 43:03 Coaching Session: Shifting Mindsets 45:39 Crafting a Compelling Vision 49:36 The Art of Storytelling in Vision 55:17 Energy Management for Leaders 59:11 Preview of Upcoming Book ABOUT OUR SPONSORWorried if your exit number is enough to fund your lifestyle after exiting your business? Take the cash out with confidence assessment and identify the gaps in your wealth plan. Go to: https://cash-out-with-confidence.scoreapp.com ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: https://adamstrong.net ABOUT THE GUEST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billflynnpublic/ Full CBA assessment for facilitators and leaders - https://catalystgrowthadvisors.com/cba-assessment-download-enter-email-here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices