Ambitious engineers are wired to help. To mentor. To carry extra weight when someone else is struggling. But there’s a line most engineers never learn to draw, and crossing it is how burnout starts.

In this episode, Steve Maxey and Jake Maxey, senior engineers and co-hosts of The Impactful Engineer, break down the real tension between propelling others and protecting your own energy, performance, and team. Not theory; practical, tactical advice on when helping accelerates careers… and when it quietly destroys them.

Key Topics Covered
• Why “being helpful” can quietly tank your performance and visibility
• The difference between developing someone and carrying them
• How underperformers drain teams, even with good intentions
• When leadership responsibility outweighs personal loyalty
• Why unlimited tolerance punishes high performers
• The real cost of keeping someone afloat who won’t take ownership
• When cutting bait is the most ethical decision
• How standards protect culture and momentum
• Why effort without progress is a warning sign

Actionable Steps
• Audit where your time and energy actually go each week
• Identify who grows because of your help, and who depends on it
• Stop compensating for repeated lack of ownership
• Set clear expectations and timelines early
• Escalate issues instead of silently absorbing them
• Separate short-term support from long-term dependency
• Protect your output and visibility
• Pull back intentionally without guilt
• Invest deeply where effort creates momentum

Who This Episode Is For
• Engineers carrying underperforming teammates
• Managers drained by constant “helping”
• High performers feeling overlooked or stuck
• Engineers flirting with burnout
• Leaders facing tough people decisions

Why It Matters
Leadership isn’t infinite patience, it’s disciplined energy. When engineers spend their best effort propping up the wrong people, visibility drops, performance stalls, and burnout creeps in. Knowing when to support, and when to step back, is the difference between sustained impact and silent career decay.

Where to Listen
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

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