Every organization runs on an invisible subsidy.
It isn’t a budget line or a job title. It’s the quiet labor of the people who catch mistakes before they become crises, anticipate needs before they’re spoken, and hold systems together without recognition.
In this solo episode, Alex Greenwood reads his essay “The Competency Tax: Why the Most Capable Often Pay More,” Part Three of his Radical Competency series.
Using an unlikely but perfect example from pop culture, M*A*S*H’s Radar O’Reilly, Alex explores how radically competent people become indispensable, overused, and often invisible. Radar hears the helicopters first. He keeps the hospital running. And he quietly pays the price.
This episode is for:
High performers who are always “the one who handles it”
Leaders who rely on a few people to absorb chaos
Anyone who has felt their reliability slowly turn into expectation
Organizations that mistake dedication for infinite capacity
Key themes include:
What the “Competency Tax” really is
Why radical competency is rewarded with more work, not protection
The moral failure of extracting overcapacity from trusted people
What happens when the most capable person finally leaves
⚠️ Important note:
December 30, 2025 will be the final episode of PR After Hours.
That episode will explain what’s next, why this chapter is ending, and where this work is heading after five years.
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Announcer: Mary McKenna. PR After Hours Theme: https://filmmusic.io "Bossa Antigua" by Kevin MacLeod Music Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This episode was recorded and mixed at Green Shebeen Studios in beautiful Kansas City, Missouri. Copyright 2025, all rights reserved. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission.We are an Amazon Associates seller, and some of our links may earn us a commission.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed on the podcast are solely those of Alex Greenwood and his guests. The views stated do not imply endorsement or policy of Alex's employer.