Stop Creating Fake Fires at Work

In the corporate world, urgency has become a management tool.We set deadlines. We light fires.And sometimes, yes—it’s justified. There’s a real deadline. A real risk. A real fire.

But often, we invent urgency just to push people harder.

And that’s a problem.

Fake deadlines might get short-term results, but they come at a long-term cost.When people realize the pressure wasn’t real, they feel manipulated.They stop trusting their leaders.And why would they trust us—if we don’t trust them to deliver without made-up stress?

On top of that, high performers—the ones who always go the extra mile—never get to recover.And that’s how burnout happens.

If we want people to work hard, we don’t need fake fires.We need to be honest.Tell your team the real reason you’re pushing:“We want to impress the board.”“I’m worried we’re behind.”“This one matters.”

People are more understanding than you think—especially when they feel trusted.

So let’s stop inventing urgency and start having real conversations instead.That’s what sustainable leadership looks like.