Episode 31: The hidden cost of rock stars—and what great leaders do instead
Published on 6 May 2025 • Hosted by Dr Lisa Colledge
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Have you ever worked with a rock star?
You know the type. Reliable. High-achieving. The one you turn to when stakes are high and visibility matters. Maybe you’ve even been that person yourself.
Rock stars are brilliant—and incredibly valuable. But building your whole team around them? That’s when things get rocky.
In this podcast episode, I explore what happens when we rely too much on individual brilliance and not enough on collective strength. Drawing from both personal experience and leadership research from McKinsey and Gallup, here are four risks leaders face when relying too heavily on rock stars:
🚩 1. Burnout
Rock stars are typically asked to do everything. Their character and level of motivation means they tend to say yes—until they can’t.
🚩 2. Fragility
When one person holds the keys to success, the whole team wobbles when they leave or falter.
🚩 3. Disengagement
Others feel unseen when opportunity and recognition is not evenly available. Motivation and engagement drops.
🚩 4. Slower growth
Even the work of rock stars is strengthened when others reflect, challenge, and contribute.
So what’s the alternative?
Design your teams with neuroinclusion at the heart. That means recognizing and enabling different ways of thinking, working, processing, and connecting. It means creating a working culture where everyone can contribute—and thrive.
I share a powerful example from my own work where we replaced top-down nominations with open calls for special projects. The result? Broader participation, better ideas, and a happier team.
Neuro-Inspired Teams aren’t about excluding your stars. They’re about helping them shine in a way that lifts everyone.
