148: "What Do You Do When Your Boss Isn’t Doing Their Job—But You Could?" ft. Alli Murphy

In this conversation, Erik and Alli unpack a deceptively simple leadership dilemma: Should you step in and do the work to prove you're ready for the next level—or hold back to avoid being taken advantage of?

What unfolds is a nuanced exploration of responsibility, visibility, emotional intelligence, and long-term career alignment. They challenge the idea that leadership is about titles—and instead argue it’s about how you respond when things fall apart around you.

🧭 Conversation Highlights

• Opportunity hides in dysfunction. When responsibility is dropped, that’s not just a problem—it’s a signal. Stepping in can accelerate your growth and clarify whether the role (or company) is worth it.
• Leadership isn’t just doing—it’s thinking. Proving readiness doesn’t always mean executing tasks. Sometimes it’s about showing strategic awareness, surfacing risks, and proposing solutions.
• Visibility matters (but so does tact). Doing the work without making it visible is a risk. But visibility doesn’t mean throwing someone under the bus—it’s about communicating impact intelligently.
• Responsibility ≠ execution. Taking ownership doesn’t always mean doing everything yourself. It can mean ensuring the outcome happens—through influence, planning, or escalation.
• Your environment will eventually reveal itself. If your effort consistently goes unrecognized, that’s not just frustrating—it’s data. And the faster you see it, the faster you can make a better decision.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Step into responsibility—but be strategic about how. Doing everything blindly can backfire. Pair action with visibility and intentional communication.
• Think like the next-level leader before you become one. Demonstrating judgment, prioritization, and foresight is often more powerful than just grinding through tasks.
• Control your emotional reactions in the moment. Frustration is valid—but your response should come from your best self, not your reactive self.
• Use frustration as information, not fuel. Emotional spikes are signals. They shouldn’t dictate your behavior—but they can guide your decisions.
• If you’re not valued, don’t wait forever to realize it. Sometimes the real win isn’t the promotion—it’s the clarity that you’re in the wrong place.

❓ Questions That Mattered

• What does it actually prove if you don’t do the work that needs to be done?
• How can you demonstrate readiness without being exploited?
• What’s the difference between taking responsibility and doing everything yourself?
• How would your “best self” respond in this moment?
• What if the real opportunity is realizing this isn’t the right environment?

🗣️ Notable Quotes

• “Opportunity lurks where responsibility has been abdicated.”
• “Taking responsibility doesn’t mean you have to do the thing—it means you make sure it gets done.”
• “Would you rather know in 18 months—or 10 years—that you’re not valued?”
• “How would the version of you you’re trying to become handle this?”
• “Even if you get taken advantage of… that’s a hell of a piece of information to have.”

🔗 Links & Resources

• Listen to other episodes co-hosted with Alli