492: Behind the Rank: Michele Hawley on Being the Engine Everyone Depends On

Many leaders fall into the trap of becoming the engine of their business, or the one person everyone depends on to keep momentum alive. In this latest episode of Behind the Rank, I'm joined by Michele Hawley to discuss the heavy cost of being that engine and what happens when you finally trade pushing for presence. As you'll hear today, for years Michele carried the emotional weight of her organization, operating from a place of borrowed belief and the need to prove her worth. We explore the reality of the specific mask she realized she was wearing, the exhaustion of saving the day for your team, and the powerful moment Michele realized her business could actually grow (and flow) without her micromanaging the results. If Michele's story resonated with you, I want to help you identify the fear-led patterns that are keeping you exhausted. Message me on Instagram or Facebook and tell me you listened to this episode. I'll personally walk you through the same Leadership Mask Audit I did with Michele to help you stop carrying the weight of your team and start leading from a restored, LOVE-LED™ order. Listen to Learn: 2:21 - How success in a fear-led system is often rented from results and titles rather than owned by the individual 5:49 - What it feels like to reach a big goal and the realization that hitting the top doesn't automatically fix internal pressure 13:43 - Why missing a major goal for the first time is often the moment a leader like Michele finally feels the weight of their fear-led conditioning 24:14 - The reasons she actually felt a sense of relief when she didn't hit a promotion goal while being 6 months pregnant 29:31 -A major crossroads Michele faced in 2020 and the powerful story her life completely changing, all within 72 hours 34:20 - What to realize about the difference between a calling versus pressure 39:56 - The devastating reality of title maintenance and why so many leaders carry the burden of rank alone and in silence 47:37 - What shift Michele needed to go from "borrowed belief" to showing up with a permanent internal foundation of love and calling 55:18 - How she has grown her business volume significantly year-over-year by leading from a place of peace rather than a "pusher" mindset 63:22 - A final word on why you are enough outside of your metrics and how to recognize that pressure is just a signal, not a command Click here to

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492: Behind the Rank: Michele Hawley on Being the Engine Everyone Depends On is an episode from Your Virtual Upline Podcast by Bob Heilig.

This episode is 01:06:43 long.

This episode was published on Apr 23, 2026.

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