# Standing out without burning out (or being a jerk)

- **Episode:** [230](https://agents.truthliesandwork.com/episodes/230.md) (2025-09-09)
- **Type:** other
- **Tags:** burnout, self-promotion, career-growth
- **Time:** 26:24–29:12 (start 1584s)
- **Listen:** [https://truthliesandwork.com/230?t=1584](https://truthliesandwork.com/230?t=1584)

---

[26:24] Al Elliott: And even if you don't have a great manager, I think a lot of people think that in order for me as part of a 25-person team to be amazing and get all the things I want, then other people have to lose. I have to win and other people have to lose in order for me to win. But like Leanne said, if everyone, if everyone on the team or the majority of the team were like, let's really produce some incredible work. Let's really, let's up our SLA. Let's do whatever it is that's the metric. We, as many of you as possible work together, we all look great. It's not a zero-sum game, is it?
[26:55] Leanne Elliott: No, it's not
[26:56] Al Elliott: Even if it's a zero-sum game, you can take it out of some other team or even your competitors in the marketplace, right? Even better. Even better. I really like that insight of coaching and laying it out and saying, hey, I'm on your side. The phrase, help me help you, was kind of ruined by that movie Jerry Maguire, but maybe it's not a cliché anymore. That movie's, you know, maybe 20 years old and people don't remember it. But if that line is delivered with honesty and compassion, then I think that that can be very effective. We were talking to a guy called Jeff— what's Joey's actor's surname? LeBlanc. Jeff LeBlanc. Jeff LeBlanc. And he's done a study on kindness in leadership. And we spoke maybe for about 6 or 8 minutes on Ted Lasso. I don't know if you watched it or anything or come across it. He thinks that that is the way that every manager should be. He thinks that every manager should watch the entire series from end to end. And I haven't watched it all. I've watched the first 2 seasons. And he said that Ted Lasso is the perfect manager because he brings humility, kindness, thoughtfulness, But then he won't give up on people. For those people who aren't in psychology and those people who are just like, I just want some kind of like thing to hang this, hang this whole idea of a great manager on, watch Ted Lasso and see what happens. That is so interesting. Huh
[28:23] Leanne Elliott: I've never seen it. I guess I need to watch it now
[28:25] Al Elliott: I think you would love it, Nick. The optimism and maybe investment in the process of improving the team as opposed to the outcome of winning was something that I took away, but that, that was maybe reinforcing my bias. You know, I always love being told that what I believe is right
[28:45] Leanne Elliott: Well, there's a very, very good psychologist that believes that too
[28:50] Al Elliott: Yes. There you go
[28:51] Leanne Elliott: Is there a secondary theme in everything we just talked about in that feedback, that conversation, help me help you, or I'm a champion for you? of encouraging the individual contributor to sort of be an entrepreneur of their own reputation within the company and even outside it