The 5 Myths Holding Entrepreneurs & Executive Back
In working with hundreds of entrepreneurs and executives, I’ve found that certain myths are nearly universal—and they’re holding leaders back from becoming the best versions of themselves. These myths often operate subconsciously, shaping how we build, operate, and lead. I know this to be truth because I used to subscribe to many of them myself.
Society and #hustleculture have ingrained these beliefs, presenting them as the keys to success. But in reality, they are obstacles. Until we unlearn and deprogram these myths, we put both our success and our well-being at risk.
The Productivity Myth:
The Productivity Myth tells us that working harder, faster, and longer is the ultimate path to success.
Belief: “I am super-productive. Nobody works harder, faster, or longer than I do.”
Expression: Working 60+ hours a week, eating lunch at your desk, talking a lot about how busy you are, visibly stressed, not very present.
Truth: Research tells us that productivity falls sharply after 50 hours per week, and drops off a cliff after 55 hours. Additionally, not taking at least one full day off per week leads to lower hourly output overall.
Shift: Working smarter, not harder is one key to productivity.
We have an entire workbook to help you do this that you can download here. Highlights: slow down, build breaks into your day, eliminate distractions (hint: put your phone in a drawer), and time-block your calendar.
We tend to focus so much on productivity itself that we lose sight of what actually fuels it. By shifting your focus to purpose and presence, you create the conditions for deeper engagement, better decision-making, and ultimately, higher productivity and performance.
The Urgency Myth:
The Urgency Myth convinces us that everything is urgent and that if we’re not moving fast, we’re falling behind.
Belief: "Speed is everything. If I slow down, I’ll lose momentum and opportunities."
Expression: Constant firefighting, reactive decision-making, feeling rushed, sacrificing strategy for speed, employee burnout.
Truth: Always prioritizing urgency can lead to poor decision-making, inefficiency, and burnout. Research on decision fatigue shows that making too many high-stakes decisions under pressure depletes cognitive resources, leading to impulsive and lower-quality choices. Additionally, McKinsey & Company found that leaders who take time for strategic reflection and intentional decision-making drive better long-term business performance than those who prioritize speed alone.
Shift: Recognize that not everything is urgent. Use Eisenhower’s Matrix to distinguish between what is urgent and what is importance. Create space for strategic thinking and encourage a culture where deliberate action is valued over constant motion.
The Multi-tasking Myth:
The Multitasking Myth convinces us that juggling multiple tasks at once makes us more efficient and effective. In reality, it is often a response to the Urgency and Productivity Myths—the pressure to move faster and do more makes us believe that multitasking is the answer.
Belief: “I can handle lots of things at the same time.” If I had a dollar for every time a client told me what a great multi-tasker they are... To be fair, I used to claim this as a superpower myself.
Expression: Lots of tabs open, lots of context-shifting between meetings and projects, lots of things started.
Truth: Research shows that multitasking may seem efficient on the surface but may actually take more time in the end, with even brief mental blocks created by shifting between tasks costing as much as 40 percent of someone's productive time. Doing multiple things at once can lead to more mistakes. It also makes us easily distracted and can make it hard to concentrate, even when we're not multitasking.
Shift: Instead of taking pride in being a multi-tasker, take pride in cultivating focus and flow. This is harder than it sounds as devices and digital media have wreaked havoc on our ability to pay attention to one thing for long periods of time. Focus on one thing at a time and time block for it. You will notice your ability to focus increases as does your time spent in flow - which in turn increases productivity, among other benefits.
The Resiliency Myth:
The Resiliency Myth convinces leaders (especially founders) that success comes from relentless perseverance—pushing through exhaustion and hardship without allowing for rest or recovery.
Belief: “Resiliency is all about picking yourself up, pushing forward, and powering through at all costs.”
Expression: Stress, anxiety, exhaustion, burnout
Truth: The way many leaders define resilience is actually a fast track to burnout. According to the World Health Organization, workplace stress and burnout contribute to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, and physical health problems like cardiovascular diseases (American Psychological Association) (CFAH). The American Psychological Association highlights that chronic workplace stress can lead to decreased productivity, higher absenteeism, and increased healthcare costs (American Psychological Association) (CFAH).
Shift: Adjust your definition of resiliency to include what I call “the RE’s” of REsiliency: rest, recover, relax, restart, refocus, reframe. This shift involves a commitment to both wellness and wholeness. What if you valued your rest ethic as much as your work ethic? See our post on resiliency for more tools for building resilience.
The Suffering Myth
The Suffering Myth suggests that personal sacrifice and relentless struggle are necessary ingredients for building a successful business.
Belief: “Suffering is just part of the deal—if you want to succeed, you have to be willing to handle pain and sacrifice.” This one is particularly common in the early-stage tech ecosystem.
Expression: Personal: Unhappiness, stress, anxiety, exhaustion, burnout, loneliness, deep personal sacrifice. Less creative and innovative. Interpersonal: Knower tendencies, controlling, short-tempered, less collaborative, less creative, and innovative.
Truth: You do not need to suffer to build a successful business. It is possible to build and lead from joy. To thrive not just survive. Of course, there will be pain and occasional suffering. In fact, those often provide essential learning and growth. But they don’t have to be the way. As Buddhism teaches, uncertainty and dissatisfaction are unavoidable parts of life. “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.”
Shift: Building from joy is a choice, one that requires intentionality. First, explore your relationship to the three myths outlined above, as well as examine your addiction to busyness. Second, create more joy and reduce suffering by prioritizing wellness and wholeness.
Key shifts include:
Maintaining a robust life outside of work. Your identity should not be solely tied to your company.
Detaching from the outcome. The more desperately you need to succeed, the more you suffer—and paradoxically, the less likely you are to succeed.
Managing your mind and emotions, rather than being controlled by them.
Creating a culture where struggles and fears can be discussed openly.
As I tell my clients: “True success isn’t just about building a thriving business—it’s about building a fulfilling and sustainable life alongside it."
Unlearning the Myths, Reclaiming Your Leadership
Assessing which of these myths you hold—whether consciously or unconsciously—is critical for becoming your best self as a leader. How you show up affects not only your own well-being but also that of your team and organization.
Getting honest about the myths shaping your leadership allows you to make intentional shifts. Are you glorifying overwork? Are you clinging to distractions instead of cultivating focus? Are you confusing resilience with endurance? Are you operating from a mindset of suffering rather than joy?
The great news? You don’t have to subscribe to these myths. You can redefine success. You can build smarter, lead better, and thrive—not just survive. And when you do, your company will thrive too.
What myth are you ready to let go of first?