Build with Leila Hormozi – Episode 298: 5 Leadership Lessons from Leading My Team Last Quarter
Release Date: July 16, 2025
In Episode 298 of "Build with Leila Hormozi," renowned entrepreneur Leila Hormozi delves deep into five pivotal leadership lessons she gleaned from managing her team over the past quarter. Drawing from her extensive experience in scaling businesses and fostering high-performing teams within acquisition.com, Leila offers actionable insights aimed at entrepreneurs and business leaders striving to build unshakeable enterprises.
Introduction
Leila Hormozi opens the episode by setting the stage for her reflections on recent performance and quarterly reviews. Emphasizing the importance of continuous growth and adaptation, she shares personal takeaways intended to guide listeners in enhancing their leadership approaches and organizational effectiveness.
1. Development is an Output, Not an Input
Key Insight: True personal and professional development stems from active application and experiencing real-world challenges, rather than passive consumption of knowledge.
Leila recounts a significant moment during a performance review where an employee sought advice on personal development. Her initial hesitation revealed a common misconception: development primarily occurs through consuming educational content like books, courses, or podcasts. However, Leila asserts that this is a limited perspective.
Notable Quote [04:30]:
“Development is actually what happens when you act, not when you read.”
Actionable Takeaway:
Encourage active experimentation and risk-taking within your team. Foster an environment where making mistakes is viewed as a pathway to growth, rather than something to be feared. Prioritize hands-on experiences and real-time feedback over theoretical learning to cultivate genuine development.
2. Tactical Excellence Only Gets You So Far
Key Insight: While tactical skills are essential for executing daily operations, sustainable growth and scalability require strategic thinking, vision setting, and talent management.
Leila shares an anecdote about a team member who admired their boss's strategic prowess but unfairly criticized their tactical abilities. This scenario underscored a prevalent issue where individuals in tactical roles may undervalue or misunderstand the importance of strategic leadership.
Notable Quote [15:20]:
“Understanding strategy, vision, people, talent – that is the unlock to growth.”
Actionable Takeaway:
Encourage leaders to balance tactical execution with strategic oversight. Recognize that exceptional tactical skills, while valuable, can limit one's ability to lead effectively if not complemented by strategic vision. Promote the development of leadership qualities that prioritize long-term planning and team development over day-to-day tasks.
3. You Get What You Tolerate
Key Insight: The behaviors and standards you uphold within your team directly shape the organizational culture and performance.
Leila discusses scenarios where team members exhibited undesirable behaviors despite previous feedback. She emphasizes that merely discussing issues without enforcing consequences leads to stagnation and persistent problems.
Notable Quote [25:45]:
“Actions speak louder than words. You have to put consequences in place so people understand what's okay and what's not.”
Actionable Takeaway:
Establish and enforce clear boundaries and expectations. Implement consistent consequences for behaviors that do not align with your company's values. By doing so, you reinforce a culture of accountability and ensure that team members understand the importance of adhering to established standards.
4. Leaders Must Be Responsive, Not Become Bottlenecks
Key Insight: In a growing organization, leaders must remain accessible and responsive to prevent becoming obstacles that hinder team productivity and progress.
Leila highlights the critical role of leaders in maintaining momentum within the team. She points out that as businesses scale, the frequency and impact of a leader’s responsiveness become paramount in sustaining efficiency and morale.
Notable Quote [35:10]:
“A leader is not a bottleneck. You need to be responsive and available enough that you don't slow down the entire machine.”
Actionable Takeaway:
Develop systems and habits that enhance your responsiveness without compromising your leadership duties. Allocate dedicated time for team interactions, decision-making, and support to ensure that your availability contributes positively to the team's workflow rather than hindering it.
5. Hiring is Like Gas – It Expands to Fill the Room
Key Insight: Without proper constraints, hiring tends to scale uncontrollably, leading to inefficiencies and diluted productivity rather than the intended growth.
Leila uses the analogy of gas expanding to illustrate how hiring without capping headcount can result in bloated teams with diminished returns. She stresses the importance of deliberate and strategic hiring practices to ensure that each addition to the team contributes meaningfully to the organization's goals.
Notable Quote [45:30]:
“If you don't cap headcount, it will balloon to fit whatever you allow to happen.”
Actionable Takeaway:
Implement stringent headcount controls and prioritize quality over quantity in hiring. Assess the actual needs of your organization before expanding your team, considering whether gaps can be filled through training, reallocation of resources, or the adoption of new tools rather than simply adding more personnel.
Conclusion
Leila Hormozi wraps up the episode by urging listeners to select at least one of the discussed leadership lessons to implement in their behavior immediately. She underscores the importance of translating insights into actionable changes to drive personal and organizational growth.
Closing Quote [57:00]:
“Pick one of these takeaways to implement this week. Not to your thinking, but to your behavior. That's how we actually learn – by changing our behavior.”
Leila's candid and practical approach offers valuable guidance for leaders aiming to build resilient and high-performing teams. By focusing on actionable strategies and fostering a culture of accountability, responsiveness, and strategic growth, leaders can propel their organizations toward sustained success.
Key Takeaways for Leaders:
- Prioritize Action-Based Development: Encourage experiential learning and embrace failures as growth opportunities.
- Balance Tactics with Strategy: Cultivate strategic thinking alongside tactical execution to unlock sustainable growth.
- Set and Enforce Clear Boundaries: Uphold standards consistently to shape a positive and accountable organizational culture.
- Maintain Responsiveness: Ensure leaders remain accessible to prevent bottlenecks and maintain team momentum.
- Strategic Hiring Practices: Control team expansion thoughtfully to enhance productivity without introducing unnecessary complexities.
By integrating these leadership lessons, business leaders can enhance their effectiveness, build stronger teams, and drive their organizations toward unparalleled growth and stability.