5 Thieves of Leadership

Let’s talk reality – you’re under a constant threat of being robbed! Your time and energy are at stake, and if you don’t take proactive measures, burnout or even getting fired could be in your future.

It’s Leadership, But Not as You Think 

Hey, I’m Vidas, CEO of Teamhood – but honestly, I see myself more as a chief of product than a traditional CEO. I love building products, but leadership comes with the job.  

Over the years, I’ve transitioned from an informal leader to leading other leaders, and I’ve learned a lot along the way. If you’re in the early days of your managerial career, I want to share some hard-earned lessons.  

And yes, I said managerial – some people get worked up about the difference between a leader and a manager (there are plenty of memes about it). But to me, it doesn’t matter. Whatever the title, I give it 120%. 

Over my years of both formal and informal managerial roles, I’ve met a handful of leadership thieves. Take note and read carefully – if you recognize any of them, you’ll be better prepared.

1. The Monkey

This is the most common thief because it can be anyone – a colleague, a team member, a manager, or even a client. I call it the monkey because of a well-known 1974 Harvard Business Review article that introduced the term “passing the monkey.” It describes the act of transferring a burden – a problem, a task, a decision – onto someone else’s shoulders. 

Every time someone asks for your attention, wants your input, or drops a problem onto your lap, they might be handing you a monkey. And if you’re not careful, your entire day will turn into a monkey zoo. As a leader, problem-solving is part of the job. But here’s the catch – not every problem should become your problem. 

Your role is to recognize when a monkey is being passed to you and decide – should you take it, solve it, or pass it back? Leaders who take on too many monkeys risk exhaustion and burnout. Those who manage them wisely encourage teams and keep their focus where it matters most. 

Disclaimer: This doesn’t mean you should avoid helping others. It’s about helping the right way. Solving other people’s problems for them is not leadership – it’s micromanagement. Coaching them to solve problems themselves? That’s leadership. 

My Personal Experience with the Monkey

Early in my leadership career, I was getting promoted fast – every year (sometimes in just nine months). But with every step up, I unknowingly took on more and more monkeys. 

As the head of an engineering unit at a bank, I often met with users to discuss planned topics. But every meeting followed the same pattern: we’d cover the agenda briefly, and then I’d end up listening to 5 more issues (sometimes not even remotely related). If I couldn’t answer or understand what needs to be done, I would usually say: 

• “Let me check on that for you.” 
• “I’ll talk to X and get back to you.” 
• “I’ll investigate this.” 

I’m naturally someone who likes to help, take action, and deliver on promises. I assumed that being a good leader meant saying “yes” to every request. So, what happened? Instead of one meeting, I walked away with four new tasks – none of which were mine to begin with. I was collecting monkeys left and right without even realizing it.  

Tips for Avoiding the Monkey Trap 

• Recognize the monkey early. Before responding, pause. Ask yourself: “Is this really my problem to solve?” 
• Push back (the right way). Encourage people to think first before handing problems over to you. Instead of taking on the task, ask: 
• Set boundaries. Some people will always try to pass their monkeys. If you don’t draw the line, you’ll become the default problem solver – and that’s a dangerous place to be. 
  • “What have you tried so far?” 
  • “What solutions do you see?” 
  • “How do you suggest we handle this?” 
• Encourage, don’t just make things easier. Sometimes, your team just needs guidance, not a full takeover. If they need your help, ask them to do the upfront work – gather data, try alternatives, and come back with possible solutions. Many problems will solve themselves in the process. 

2. The Shadow 

This thief sneaks in when you take on work that feels important but doesn’t actually align with your organization’s key goals or your core responsibilities. Unlike the monkey, which is clearly someone else’s problem, the shadow pretends itself as real work – tasks that seem urgent, necessary, or helpful but were never in your original plans. 

At first, it seems harmless. You’re just being a team player, right? But over time, shadow work adds up. It pulls you away from priorities, disrupts your focus, and affects not just you, but your entire team. 

My Personal Experience with the Shadow

While working in engineering teams, I saw shadow work sneak in on a weekly basis. It didn’t come through official channels, like standardized work requests. Instead, it showed up directly – often in the form of a senior manager or end user stopping by my desk, skipping the process entirely, and asking for something to be implemented right now because it was “critical to business.” 

Tips for Avoiding Shadow Work 

• Make work requests official. People should use the proper channels. If it’s truly urgent, it should still follow the process. 
• Recognize the signs. No formal request, extreme urgency, and no clear link to goals? Be cautious. 
• Encourage prioritization. If it’s not part of core priorities, put it in the queue where it belongs. 
• Be helpful, but disciplined. Guiding someone to the right process is also help – you don’t have to do everything yourself. 

3. The Untidy 

Some problems don’t steal your time all at once – they slowly chip away at it. Doing things a few times ad-hoc is okay, but if you don’t catch this thief early, it will drain your energy and keep you stuck in everyday limbo.  

Instead of reinventing the wheel every time, build solid processes for anything that repeats. Otherwise, you’ll always be the bottleneck, answering the same questions, and stuck in the day-to-day grind. Want a real break? Want to level up as a leader? Then, your goal is simple – become redundant. 

My Personal Experience with the Untidy

As Chief Product at Teamhood, I learned this the hard way. I was untidy, and it hit me back by robbing me of my rest time. I handled sales team requests as they came – quick Slack messages, impromptu calls, scattered notes. Each request varied in detail, some missing key information, others lacking clear priorities. No structure, no consistency. 

At first, I didn’t see the issue. But when I took time off, the mess caught up with me. I’d return to confusion – why was a request approved? Why was it needed by date X? Without a process, I was the only one who could answer these questions. My rest time got stolen because everything depended on me remembering details from weeks ago. 

Tips for Avoiding Untidy Work 

• Standardize everything. If something happens more than twice a month, turn it into a process. 
• Create clear workflows. Every request should go through a structured intake process, not random chats. 
• Use templates. Ensure requesters provide all necessary info upfront, so no one has to chase details later. 
• Foster independence. A good process should work without you. If you can leave for a week and nothing collapses, you’re doing it right. 

4. The Lazy 

This thief isn’t about lazy people – it’s about lazy leadership. It sneaks in when you avoid tough decisions, postpone uncomfortable conversations, or let problems linger. The only way to beat it? Be fearless. Act now. Don’t wait for issues to fix themselves. Don’t hesitate to fire someone who’s not performing. Don’t disappear when things get hard. Be there, be present, show how it’s done. 

My Personal Experience with the Lazy

Every time I hesitated – whether it was dealing with an underperformer or delaying a tough call – it always came back to bite me. Early in my leadership career, we even had a “hire fast, fire faster” mindset. It’s not an ideal approach, of course – you want to hire well in the first place (which, by the way, requires effort – don’t be lazy about hiring either). But when a bad hire happens, the worst thing you can do is let it drag on. 

I’ve also seen other leaders keep low performers around for months, hoping they’d magically improve. It never works. Just like technical debt in engineering, leadership debt piles up. If you don’t deal with them, it will eventually wreck your team’s morale, your productivity, and your sanity. The lesson? Problems don’t fix themselves. You fix them. 

Tips for Avoiding the Lazy Trap 

• Be proactive. Don’t wait for issues to explode. Spot them early and act. 
• Think long-term. Ask yourself: “If I don’t do this now, how much worse will it be later?” 
• Make hard decisions quickly. If someone isn’t working out, deal with it today, not six months from now. 
• Lead by example. Show up, be present, and set the standard. Others will follow. 

5. The Workhorse 

This one is the saddest thief of all. If a workhorse robs you, it means you’ve ignored your own well-being. Being positive, open-minded, detail-oriented, empathic and friendly takes energy. If you don’t recharge, you’ll burn out. Simple as that. 

My Personal Experience with the Workhorse

There was a time when I was juggling way too much – working full-time as a head of engineering, lecturing at a university, trying to launch my startup, and being a father to a three-year-old and a one-year-old. At first, I pushed through. Then one day, my head wouldn’t stop spinning. A few days later, I was diagnosed with severe vertigo. It was a direct result of constant stress and overworking. Stupid mistake. I’ve gotten wiser since then – but not fully. 

Tips for Avoiding Burnout 

• Make it daily (or at least weekly). Don’t wait for vacation to recharge. By then, it’s too late. 
• Find your thing. For me, it’s mountain biking. I do it 3-5 times a week. It’s my recharge, my church, my well-being (sometimes not, when I crash), and my thinking process. It’s easy to do, with no strong prerequisites. Just ride a bike in nature. 
• Get outside. If you work from home, step out regularly. If you’re in an office, walk to lunch or take breaks between meetings. 
• Be with people (or pets). Spend time with family, play with your kids, or even get a pet – something that pulls you out of the work loop. 
• Stick to it. The key isn’t just doing these things – it’s doing them regularly. Daily is ideal, weekly is the bare minimum. 

Leadership Thieves Case Closed

Carry this cheat sheet in your pocket. It might save you some time and energy. At least, that’s my hope. Keep it handy, and when you spot one of these thieves, you’ll know exactly how to deal with them. 

Now that you’ve got a handle on leadership thieves, don’t forget to get familiar with the time thieves.