I learned the most important lesson about leadership on a small sailboat in San Francisco Bay. Overpowered and fighting the tiller in a building westerly, an older skipper said five words: "Put in a reef." We reduced sail. The boat flattened, the helm went neutral, and we locked into a clean groove. Less canvas, more speed.

That's the thesis of my book Busy Is Broken, and this is a solo episode where I walk through the ideas, stories, and data that can change how you lead and how you live.

In this episode: the sailboat metaphor for leadership, why your effort might be the bottleneck, and the three shifts every scaling leader needs to make.

This week's invitation: find one meeting you can cancel tomorrow. One decision you can hand off. One hour reclaimed for something important — not just urgent.

Key Takeaways:

An overpowered boat heels, drags its hull sideways, and the rudder fights you. The fix is counterintuitive: reduce sail, balance the boat, let the wind do the work.
The three shifts: micromanagement to empowerment, superhero identity to self-awareness, always-on to rest and recovery.
This is episode one of thirteen — a solo series from Bill's book, Busy Is Broken.

Links:

Book: Busy Is Broken by Bill Gallagher (coming August 2026)
Podcast: The Scaling Up Podcast — scalingcoach.com
Bill Gallagher: scalingcoach.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Q20 Diagnostic Offer

Stuck? Q20 Growth Diagnostic will give you a fresh perspective and it's free. ScalingCoach.com/Q20

Busy is Broken book

Our new book, Busy is Broken, coming this September. Sign up for the release at busyisbroken.com

Less Sail, More Speed

Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher