- Leading Greats
- Posts
- Leading Greats #124
Leading Greats #124
The Hidden Cost of Over-Competence - What to do with it:
Ronnie Kinsey, MBA
August 05, 2025
When being excellent makes you invisible.
You’re dependable. Disciplined. You get things done without drama.
And over time, that reliability becomes a reason people stop checking in.
You stop getting feedback.
You stop getting seen.
If you are looking for my infographics | PDFs - many more are coming.
Get them by the link near the bottom.
When you're consistently competent, others assume you're always fine.
But here’s the quiet truth:
Over-competence breeds under-support.
The more capable you are, the less care you receive.
It starts with praise.
Then becomes pressure.
What was once “thank you for owning this” becomes “you’ve got this, right?”
The applause fades. The asks grow.
And suddenly you're holding up the ceiling while others take their time deciding what matters.
You become the go-to. The fixer. The fallback.
It’s not malicious - but it’s real. And exhausting.
High performers don’t just burn out from work.
They burn out from being the one who always works.
3 Signs You're Paying the Hidden Cost
You’re rewarded with more tasks, not more trust.
Your manager rarely asks how you're doing - just if something's done.
You’re solving problems that aren’t yours… because you’re the fastest way forward.
If any of those hit - you’re not alone.
You’re just carrying too much, too quietly.
Leaders: This is where retention fails.
Your top people won’t always speak up.
They’ll just start planning their exit.
Before they go:
Ask, don’t assume
Acknowledge the person, not just the performance
Protect their time like you would your best investment - because that’s exactly what they are
If this is you, here’s what to shift:
Reset expectations
If you're always over-delivering, your baseline becomes unsustainable.
Make room for boundaries without losing respect.
Stop filling every gap
Just because you can solve it doesn’t mean you should.
Leave space for others to grow - or be exposed.
Put your own metrics back on the table
What do you want now?
Better inputs?
A new lane?
A shorter week?
If you’re not checking in with yourself, you’re letting others decide what’s “next.”
Over-competence isn’t just a strength.
It’s a risk — if no one is watching out for the person behind it.
You deserve more than praise.
You deserve partnership, perspective, and a place where excellence isn’t taken for granted.
Because carrying it all shouldn’t be the cost of being good at your job.
→ Don’t just reward performance.
→ Recognize capacity, protect energy, and check in with the ones who never ask for help.
You’ll keep more good people - including yourself.
You teach people how to treat you by what you allow, what you stop, and what you reinforce.
- Dr. Wayne Dyer
If you are new here - This is HOW I CAN HELP YOU:
1.]
From decades of experience as a Leader and Executive Coach my Client Offers include:
Strategy Hour: gain clarity, work through strategy, or for a profile makeover to move forward rapidly
Structured High Performance & Growth coaching packages tailored to your needs and goals + Retainer Agreements (attract the BEST Clients!)
Growing your Brand | Product | Services [SCALE]
Stepping into Your NEXT Chapter
Writing & Telling your STORY
Refining Executive Presence
Navigating a PIVOT
What do you need? * See What Clients Say below.
Reach out, and let’s clarify your targets together!
Links: by my 1:1 Strategy call LINK Below with my photo, and custom consult request at ronniekinsey.net
2.]
LinkedIn [optional]:
There are over 1 billion members on LinkedIn. Don’t be overlooked.
I quickly grew from < 4k to > 100k followers in mere months!
Now with > 182k, be encouraged: you can gain this growth, too.
ADD focused support and grow much more dynamically = 10x, 50x, 100x ++!
I have supported, grown, and trained with some of the fastest-growing, influential, and most respected profiles on LinkedIn. I can help you get ahead quickly.
Book your call today!
Schedule in my FEATURED section on LinkedIn + link below.
You may email me and DM on LinkedIn to start a conversation.
I Enjoy helping and seeing others grow!
3.]
Available for SPEAKING Events.
Memberships: NSA, ACHE, ICF
I’ve spent my career elevating leaders, navigating high-stakes industries, and driving transformative growth.
When it comes to transition, I am an expert at fielding transitions - planned, unplanned, surprising, and sudden, as well as long and drawn out.
I have valuable lived in experience to speak from that can help others gain the traction they deserve!
A few areas I speak from the heart on are: thriving in toxic environments, escaping burnout when options seemed hopeless, and choosing GROWTH - through extreme adversity and challenge. And navigating a Pivot positively.
➟ My enthusiasm comes through as I am excited to share my gains!
CONTACTS:
Experience it. Let’s WIN Together!
The World Needs More Great Leaders!
I coach ambitious CEOs, founders, leaders, and professionals to stop being quietly over-relied on, build boundaries that protect their performance, and lead from a place of partnership, not silent pressure - so they scale sustainably, stay visible, and succeed without losing themselves.
Reach out to get a strategy call on the calendar so you can get closer to what you really want in life, work, and relationships at ronniekinsey.net, and by my 1:1 Strategy call LINK Below with my photo.
This is what Successful Clients are Saying:
"Ronnie has an unmatched ability to simplify complex challenges. Working with him transformed not just my leadership skills but my entire outlook on growth."
- CEO
"Ronnie is the coach you want when the stakes are high. He has a gift for asking the right questions that drive impactful change."
- CFO
“I gained amazingly useful insights. Thank you for your very kind words and generosity. This valuable work brought about actionable breakthroughs.”
- CMO
"Ronnie’s expertise isn’t just theoretical - it’s actionable. Every conversation left me with clear steps that elevated my leadership."
- Founder
"In just a few sessions, Ronnie helped me identify blind spots I didn’t know I had. His coaching style is practical, insightful, and deeply effective."
- Keynote Speaker
"I came to Ronnie overwhelmed and left with clarity and confidence. His ability to guide without pushing is a true art."
- PhD
“Massive Return On Investment working with Ronnie. You don’t have to feel stuck to be underperforming. Ronnie has the intuition and experience to uncover opportunities that I missed on my own. I needed this breakthrough two years ago!”
- Global Strategy Executive
Thank YOU for reading Leading Greats - Always!
It’s been a pleasure having you here 124 consistent weeks strong!
If you enjoy reading Leading Greats - PLEASE share my newsletter:
I appreciate your help spreading the word.
Thank you for telling others to subscribe it’s FREE.
Make 2025 your best year yet!
It’s mid Q3. If you’re not at the right pace right now - let’s talk. I can help.
Until next time - Keep it Great,
-Ronnie
Executive & Leadership Coach
#1 LinkedIn Global Growth > 100,000 followers in mere months
#4 Favikon Global Leadership & Management [Simon Sinek @ #3]
Leader | Advisor | Speaker | Writer
When you are ready, schedule a strategy call for working together:
Click here to book a call together:
If you are looking for my infographics | PDFs, more are coming.
Be sure to get them here:
Interested in Sponsoring this Newsletter or a Custom Post on LinkedIn for broad audience reach?
REPLY here, on ronniekinsey.net, or on https://linkedin.com/in/ronniekinseymba/
Considering starting - or migrating a Newsletter?
First I started my newsletter on a different platform then I migrated here to beehiiv.com for ease of use.
If you are looking for a full newsletter resource tool that helps you navigate the vast intricacies of starting, building, and growing a newsletter I highly recommend starting with beehiiv.com.
Partner Disclosure: I may use affiliate links in my publications. I only recommend products that I use and appreciate. If you click them and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support my work and allows me to continue to provide valuable content. Thank YOU for your support!