Welcome back, friends! In this episode of the Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast, Tara is joined by co-host and ALIGN’s Chief Strategy Officer, Stephanie Theisen, to explore a leadership challenge many high achievers don’t realize they’re facing: overfunctioning. Together, they unpack four common overfunctioning leadership patterns; micromanaging, firefighting, hypervigilance, and rescuing, and discuss how these behaviors, often rooted in good intentions, can unintentionally limit team growth and create dependency.

Drawing from Stephanie’s own leadership journey, the conversation offers practical insights for recognizing when control is getting in the way of sustainable momentum. Tara and Stephanie share strategies for building healthier leadership habits, empowering team members, and having the accountability conversations leaders often avoid. Plus, listeners can access the Over-Functioning Leader Self-Assessment to reflect on their own leadership tendencies and identify opportunities for growth.

Registration for our next Grounded Leadership cohort is now open!

Registration for our next Growth-Focused Leader cohort is now open!

Registration for our new Managers Essentials Course is now open!

At the Grounding and Growing Leadership podcast, we believe everyone is a leader and that leadership starts with you. Join Tara Gronhovd, Gallup Certified Clifton Strengths Coach and e2Grow High Performing Team Coach, and Pamela Nelson, Gallup Certified Clifton Strengths Coach, Counselor, and Spiritual Director, as we navigate conversations to grow you and your teams on your leadership journeys.

CliftonStrengths (aka Strengthsfinder) is an assessment that is based on positive psychology and measures core motivations. It’s an extremely powerful tool for personal and professional development as well as improving team dynamics. You will hear us reference Strengths frequently in our podcasts. If you are interested in learning more and taking the CliftonStrengths assessment for you or your team, please reach out to tara@aligntransform.com.

Comments or questions about this episode? Ideas for future podcast topics and guests? We’d love to hear from you!

Resources:

The Overfunctioning Leader Self-Assessment

ALIGN