About this episode
Most founders pride themselves on being “high-capacity”.
The person who can sell, operate, strategise, and firefight all at once.
But there’s a point where that strength quietly becomes the problem.
In this episode, Al and Leanne are joined by Dustin Hillis, a serial entrepreneur and executive coach who has led businesses from early-stage chaos through to $100m-plus scale, and is now building again at a much bigger level.
Dustin’s core message is simple, but uncomfortable:what gets you to your first milestone will not get you to the next one.
Unless leaders change how they work, think, and let go, they become the bottleneck that holds everything back.
This is a long-form, honest conversation about growth, power, systems, and the emotional reality of leadership that rarely gets talked about.
? What you’ll learn in this episode
Why working harder eventually stops working, and what replaces it
How leaders unintentionally burn out their best people by turning them into “catch-alls”
Why systems don’t kill creativity, but reduce fear and create capacity
What actually changes at £1m, £10m, £100m and beyond
The power dynamics that quietly derail teams as money and authority increase
Why “pruning” underperformance is painful but essential for healthy cultures
How to stop being the centre of everything without losing control
Dustin acts as a guide through the messy middle of growth, grounded in lived experience rather than theory.
? About the book
Dustin is the author of Capacity: Building Your Business Bigger Than You, a practical exploration of how leaders build organisations that no longer depend on them to function.
? Connect with Dustin
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinhillis/
Website: https://dustinhillis.com
? Connect with the hosts
Al Elliotthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alelliott/
Leanne Elliotthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/leanneelliott/
? Connect with Truth, Lies & Work
Website: https://truthliesandwork.com
Email: hello@truthliesandwork.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truth-lies-and-work
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthlieswork
