From Overworked to Intentional: Busting 3 (more) Leadership Myths That Keep You Stuck

“The more often a story is told, the more likely people are to believe it’s true. Even when it isn’t.”

That’s how myths become habits. They get passed along in meetings, shared in books, quoted in podcasts, and eventually accepted as universal truths. But great leaders don’t chase myths. They pay attention to the facts. They analyze what’s really happening around them, and they make decisions that support their team and business. That’s how they stand apart from the crowd.

In my previously published article Leadership Mythbusters, we challenged a few of the most common leadership and productivity myths. These included the idea that it takes exactly 21 days to form a habit that multitasking makes us more efficient, and that early risers always win. From that, it was clear, there were more myths to uncover and understand. So in this follow up, we’re continuing the series and taking a closer look at three more myths leaders still get stuck in sometimes. Each one sounds like a good idea on the surface. But when you dig a little deeper, they don’t hold up, and they often lead to more stress, less impact, and wasted energy.

To borrow (and adjust) the opening from the Mythbusters show, “Great leaders don’t just follow myths, they put them to the test.” Let’s take a look at three more myths.

Myth #1: You Always Have to Be Innovating to Move Ahead

Innovation has its place. It can be exciting, energizing, and at times, absolutely necessary. But not everything needs a new twist. Not every process needs to be rebuilt. And not every leader needs to create something new just to prove they’re adding value.

You don’t have to constantly reinvent the wheel. What matters most is knowing what you already have, how it’s working, and what you’re actually trying to solve for.

In retail, “back to basics” gets thrown around like it’s a strategy. It’s not. Basics are basics. They are the non-negotiables. Clean stores, full shelves, and easy-to-read pricing aren’t innovative. They’re expected. And if those fundamentals aren’t in place, no amount of innovation will fix what’s broken underneath.

Leaders sometimes try to innovate around the basics, hoping a new initiative will shake things up or distract from deeper issues. But that approach doesn’t lead to better outcomes. It just creates more noise. Innovation for the sake of feeling busy or looking sharp on a presentation slide rarely moves the business forward.

I have written previously about how iteration works with innovation — Grow Your Business and Leadership with Constant Iteration, Occasional Innovation. Real growth usually comes from steady, thoughtful improvements over time. Iteration beats invention in most day-to-day situations. Big innovation moments are rare. And they only work when the foundation is solid.

Innovation still matters, don’t get me wrong. But only after the basics are in place and working well. Without that, it’s just a distraction and more for frontline team members to try to keep up with.

Myth #2: You Have to Work Harder or Longer to Get More Done

There’s a belief that when results fall short, the only answer is to grind harder. How often have you heard that? Just put in more hours. Work through lunch. Stay late. Come in early. But working longer doesn’t always mean you’re doing better work. In fact, at a certain point, it does the opposite. I have been there, I have done that. And, I can tell you, it rarely works for any sustained period of time. Yes, catching up sometimes requires running a little longer or a little harder. But, ‘a little while’ cannot become ‘always’ and frequently it does.

Burnout isn’t a badge of honor, nor is it a productivity tool.

When people say, “I just need to work harder,” or even “I need to work smarter,” the real question becomes: what does that actually mean? What specifically has to change? Are you doing the right work? Or just doing more?

That’s where planning, prioritization, and discipline to your schedule come in. Productivity isn’t only about effort, it is really more about intentionality. The best leaders and most productive people don’t run harder; they get clear on what matters most and protect time to work on it. They challenge themselves about where their time is going and what’s actually moving the business forward.

If the workload consistently exceeds what’s reasonable (and that happens), the issue may not be how hard you’re working. It might be time to question what’s being expected and whether something needs to be removed or rebalanced. Part of your role as a leader is to challenge those above you as well. When too much is being asked of you and your team, that needs to be addressed. Be factual. Be honest. Provide solutions or options. But don’t just try to muscle through it.

Adding more to the plate without making space for it doesn’t create progress. Period. It leads to exhaustion. More hours won’t fix a lack of focus. That leads to a frustrated and tired leader and a confused and overworked team.

If your week feels off, don’t assume you need to do more. Pause and ask: what were the real barriers? What did I allow to take over my time? What’s the one thing I could have done differently to make a bigger impact? That’s the work that moves you forward, not just working harder for the sake of it.

Myth #3: Change Means Progress

Change and innovation are often linked, but they are not the same. Believing that change automatically leads to progress is a common trap, especially for leaders who are new to a role or new to a company. Change can feel like proof that you’re adding value. It’s visible. It gives the impression that something is happening. But not all movement is progress.

Change should be used to improve outcomes, not just to shake things up. If something isn’t working, then yes, something needs to change. But that change should have a clear purpose. It should be focused on getting the core expectations of the business back on track, not layered on top of broken basics.

In retail, that could mean tightening daily routines, reinforcing expectations, or getting more disciplined in how the team works. It doesn’t always require something brand new. As I wrote in Break Out of Your Routine, change works best when it starts with clarity. When you know what needs to improve, and why, then the right kind of change can build momentum and help the team move forward.

Effective leaders use change intentionally. They don’t change for the sake of change. They use it to solve the right problems and support the team in getting better, not just busier.

Myths, theories, and even stories are important to every area of life. But believing them blindly is where people get into trouble. There are nuggets of truth in each myth I covered here. But when they are misunderstood or taken out of context, a good idea becomes something that usually works against you instead of for you. Critical thinking and challenging ideas are core elements of great leadership. You can put those to good use when you come across something that sounds good on the surface, but may have unintended consequences when put to use. Keep on busting myths that don’t work for you.

Which of these sounded most familiar to your current environment? What changes will you make?

Get leadership tips and new articles you can use directly to your inbox. Join the thousands of other leaders continuing your leadership development journey with **Effective Retail Leader.com. **

DISCLAIMER: I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Other links to third-party products and services may also be affiliate links.