The “All-Rounder” Trap: Why Your Ability Is Quietly Costing You

Alright, I’m not here to sugar-coat it. 

If you’re a founder, business owner, or senior leader who’s secretly proud of being the Swiss Army knife for your team, let’s call it for what it is: you’re sprinting on a treadmill that’s going nowhere fast. 

Out front, wearing every hat seems like the hallmark of leadership, your phone runs hot, everyone’s calling your name, you get a reputation as the one who “gets stuff done”. Sounds impressive. Until you realise your game-changing strengths are drowning under an ocean of never-ending tasks.

This isn’t a backhanded compliment, it’s the infamous Competence Curse. 

The more stuff you’re “kind of good” at, the harder it becomes to stand out for the things that would actually put you leagues ahead. 

Every new skill is another teaspoon of water in the bucket. You don’t rise above, you just get wetter. Meanwhile, the things that make you remarkable are lost in the background noise.

Top researchers even have a name for it: competence spread, or “skill dilution”. 

Trust me, I’ve seen it play out 100 times with clients and lived it myself before running head-first into a brutal realisation. When everyone leans on you, you become “indispensable” for all the wrong reasons. 

Helpful? Yes. Irreplaceable? Hardly.

Time for the honesty audit. 

Grab a pen and scribble down the last five projects you mucked in on. Were they genuinely in your “zone of genius”, or did you just end up as the emergency sub because you could? Notice the pattern? If you’re everywhere, you end up being nowhere at least where it matters.

Let’s dive in and unpick why this happens, and more importantly, how to break out before the curse hardens into your legacy.

When Wearing Too Many Hats Turns You Invisible

Let’s face it: being the business utility isn’t the golden ticket. It’s the fast lane to burnout… and then irrelevance. I see it every week: leaders boasting about “pitching in”, juggling, even wearing the odd marketing or finance hat. 

Yet when you line up the scoreboard, what did you do that no one else could?

Nine times out of ten, you’ve been busy, not bold.

And the numbers? Stark. The Journal of Organizational Behavior found that generalist “fixers”, the folks constantly stepping up are twice as likely to burn out compared to those who focus. Why? Because expectation is a cruel master. 

Every time you say “yes”, you inherit another orphaned project, until you’re running flat out, and still getting passed over.

Here’s where so many leaders go wrong: “If I can do more, I’m more valuable.”

Rubbish. 

A 2023 HBR study poured cold water all over that myth. Leaders who focused narrowly were a staggering 37% more likely to earn a promotion, and a whopping 42% more likely to get real recognition for innovation. 

Firefighting doesn’t make you a leader. 

It just keeps you mopping up yesterday’s mess instead of building tomorrow.

What does it look like in real life?

• Before: You’re spread thin, ground down, your real talents camouflaged under a pile of busywork.
• After: You zoom in, stake your value on your signature strengths, and finally become “the one” everyone remembers.

So, still reckon versatility is your superpower? 

Let’s change that with the Four-Part Excellence Focus System, your springboard from “jack-of-all-trades” to specialist, standout leader.

Four Steps from Generalist Drifter to Game-Changer

I’ve walked CEOs and founders through this cycle, time after time here is my Four-Part Excellence Focus System.

1. Run a Brutal Competence Audit

Map out every skill, every task, every little “helping hand” moment you’ve absorbed. Dust off your diary, old project lists, and replay your last six weeks. For each activity, ask:

• Did I really need to do this, or was I just plugging a gap?
• Did this work actually showcase my strongest ability?
• Would the team have survived without me here?

Here’s what gets leaders gasping: a 2022 study revealed 40–60% of their hours vanish into ground-level work that does zip for business outcomes.

Chances are, you’re not alone.

2. Double Down, Don’t Spread Out: Excellence Focus Protocol

Now comes your “fork in the road” moment. Out of that list, pick just two or three domains where you deliver killer results, the stuff you light up doing, that is commercially valuable, and is so “you” that no-one else comes close. 

That’s your Excellence Corridor. 

The tighter the focus, the sharper the wins.

Leaders who play to this narrow zone edge out the competition in innovation and strategic big-hits by miles.

3. Ruthless Skill Triage: Keep, Delegate, Delete

Now grab your metaphorical red pen. For every activity, assign it:

• Keep: Inside your Excellence Corridor, these are the gold.
• Delegate: Stuff others can handle, or where you’re the bottleneck.
• Jettison: Chuck the rest, kill it, automate it, let it die.

That’s leadership. 

And the stats back it: leaders who triage fiercely have 23% lower burnout and 17% more strategic impact. Delegation isn’t a dirty word, it’s the engine of progress.

4. Build Unbreakable Boundaries

Here’s what separates those who leap forward from those who slip back: Boundaries. Diarise your “focus blocks”, decline distractions with a clear,

“That’s not in my wheelhouse, let’s get Sarah onto it.” 

Publicly declare your priorities. 

Review every week. The evidence is clear, you’re 2.5 times more likely to be recognised for unique strengths.

Why Unapologetic Focus Fuels Growth (and Actually Feeds Your Business)

Each step lines up perfectly with what I call the “Business Marathon” and frameworks like the Business Evolution Model. 

Focus is the oxygen for real, compounding growth.

Try these actions:

• Block out 20 minutes and audit last month’s workload: what was noise, and what was value?
• Write down your three Excellence Corridors on a sticky note and stick it on your wall.
• Delegate (or delete) one non-essential activity today and then back yourself to keep it that way.
• Lock out one hour next week for “genius work” with no interruptions, no excuses.

Unpopular truth: focus still feels edgy in a world obsessed with “do everything”. But every bit of research screams the same thing, extraordinary leadership is built on precision, not plate-spinning.

“Clarity isn’t just power, it’s the difference between running the field and chasing your own tail.”

Let’s put some flesh on the bones. 

What happens when you chuck the Competence Curse and go all-in on focus?

Your Six-Week Blueprint: Escaping the Curse for Good

 If you want change at the foundational level, follow my “Six-Week Excellence Blueprint.

Here’s a sneak peek.

Six-Week Excellence Blueprint

Week	Key Focus	Actions	Measure It
1	Competence Audit	List every activity. Mark it “Critical”, “Strategic”, “Maintenance”, “Noise”.	% time in each slot
2	Excellence Area Selection	Pick your top three corridors. Ask: “Is this me?”, “Does it drive growth?”	Write and share your three focus areas
3	Skill Triage (Delegate/Exit)	Move out-of-zone tasks: Delegate or delete. Script a handover.	Tasks delegated/binned
4	Mastery Boundaries	Block your focus time; practice boundary phrases: “I’m zoned in on X right now.”	Hours protected, “no’s” delivered
5–6	Review and Reinforce	Check your shift: % of work in “zone”; ask team for feedback; adjust as needed.	Improved focus, feedback from peers

Lock In Change: How to Measure If It’s Working

You get what you measure. Track your run with these benchmarks:

• Skill Dilution Drop: Cut non-core hours by 35% in six weeks.
• Strategic Output Bump: Target a 22% lift in impactful work, 19% bump in team engagement.
• Delegation Dividend: Up to 18% growth in team clarity and ownership.
• Boundary Stick Rate: Drop “competence creep” by 30%.
• Accountability Booster: Share progress weekly, those who do are 40% more likely to stick the landing.

Trouble spots to watch:

• Caving under pressure: If you’re relapsing mid-crunch, tighten your boundaries.
• Team out of the loop: If no one can name your three areas, get vocal, make it public.
• No review rhythm: Schedule check-ins, or backslide city awaits.

Quick wins:

• Pre-draft your “decline” statements now.
• Use a public dashboard, make your shift visible.
• Celebrate small wins, don’t wait for a finish line.

Don’t Slip Back: Common Traps That Sink Your Progress

Old habits die hard, especially under heat.

Relapsing into “I’ll just do it, it’s quicker” mode (spoiler: it isn’t)

• Failing to declare boundaries to the crew
• Running solo with zero accountability

Owners who schedule reviews and go public stick their change far better than lone wolves.

Focused Leaders Win the Long Game

I’m tipping you’re done being “busy” and ready to rewrite the script. 

Narrowing your focus is your launchpad for real influence and legacy.

You’re no longer the fill-in off the bench, you’re the captain cutting through the noise: irreplaceable, respected, deadly effective. Your team steps up, your business compounds, and you reclaim your spark. 

It’s not just about profit, it’s about pride.

Because the work you choose, and the impact you make, finally match up.

Your next step:

Declare your top three “zones of excellence.” Tell your team, post it on LinkedIn, or text it to your accountability mate. Grab the free toolkit, or hit me up for the next Mastery Sprint, this change sticks when you take action, not just notes.

So, which hat are you dropping and which one finally gets the spotlights.

FAQ: The Questions Every Generalist Asks

Q1. Why do high-performers keep falling for this trap?

It’s a curse: natural leaders patch gaps their whole career. Problem is, you end up sprinting across positions and rarely get the accolades or the real influence.

Q2. Doesn’t versatility protect the business (and me) from risk?

Sometimes. But go too far and you kill the chance to build genuine scale and real influence comes from signature strengths, not being everyone’s band-aid.

Q3. I love variety, do I have to give it up?

Not at all. Keep your projects, but let your leadership IMPACT be defined by two or three core strengths. Everything else? Side gig or experiment—don’t dilute your main brand.

Q4. How do I get team buy-in?

Simple, show what’s in it for them. Spell out the opportunities, handover plans, and room to shine. Then model the change: transparency wins support.

Q5. What about after the first six weeks?

Treat it like pre-season reviews, measure, adjust, reset. It’s a lifelong marathon; the wins compound as you defend your boundaries.