Leadership Isn’t About You
That’s the Point
By Jane Phipps
Melbourne, Australia
Featured on medium.com
There’s a moment in every leader’s journey when you realise: the most powerful thing you can do is stop trying to be the smartest person in the room — and get out of the way.
True leadership is not about showing off expertise, commanding attention, or driving decisions single-handedly. It’s about creating the environment in which others can succeed together.
The ego-driven model of leadership that many of us grew up with still lingers in boardrooms and team meetings everywhere. In that model, the leader assumes to have all the answers, issues instructions, and reaps the glory. It might feel efficient, even impressive at times.
However, this approach — where authority is confused with effectiveness — is a poor fit for the collaborative, knowledge-rich workplaces of today. When leaders make it all about themselves, they put ego over purpose.
Innovation shuts down. People disengage. Ultimately, some of your brightest talent quietly begin looking elsewhere.
The Shift Toward Heart-Centered Leadership
Heart-centered leadership flips that script entirely — from power and hierarchy to service and support.
When people are treated like cogs in a machine, there to carry out the will of a controlling leader, they disconnect. Productivity drops. Passion fades.
But when people feel connected—not only to their work, but to the purpose behind it and the leader guiding them—they bring their full selves to work. They give more, care more, and strive for more — not because they’re forced to, but because they genuinely want to.
One of the biggest shifts a leader can make is taking time to explain the “why” behind the vision. When people understand the purpose, they can bring their unique expertise to the “how.”
When leaders skip that conversation—choosing positional power over inclusion—they shut down possibilities before they even surface.
Leadership, done right, unlocks the collective intelligence of the group. The results are always greater than the sum of individual contributions.
Ego vs. Awareness
I’ll be honest — I’ve caught myself making it about me, especially under pressure. It’s human.
However, ego never drives the best outcomes. What makes the difference is self-awareness. Great leaders notice when they’re slipping into control or defensiveness — and they pivot.
They pause, reflect, and choose connection over command. It’s in those moments that leadership becomes real.
The CEO Comparison
In The Heart-Centered Leader, I wrote:
“The workforce is changing. People want leaders who support them, not punish them.
They want workplaces where they can speak up, not shrink back.”
That quote came to life for me during a chapter of my career where I reported to two very different CEOs.
CEO-A was transparent. He shared what decisions were being made and why they mattered. He took ownership when things didn’t go to plan and encouraged us to lead with the same accountability.
Under his leadership, I felt safe to be honest, to admit when something wasn’t working, and to experiment. That safety led to a high-performing team culture that wasn’t built on fear, but on trust and momentum.
CEO-B, on the other hand, operated with a very different mindset. His approach was directive — yet when things went wrong, he was never to blame. Even when decisions had come directly from him, someone else always took the fall.
The result? A workplace defined by defensiveness, second-guessing, and risk aversion.
Where CEO-A inspired trust and transparency, CEO-B managed through fear and avoidance.
What Heart-Centered Leadership Creates
One outcome of leading from the heart is that it creates emotionally engaged teams.
They don’t merely show up — they show up with purpose. That sense of connection, that desire to contribute to something bigger than themselves, is the fuel that powers truly great organisations.
Leadership is more important than any one person because it’s about building a shared vision, inspiring collaboration, and creating an environment where everyone can contribute to a common goal.
It’s not about your title or your need to be right.
It’s about lifting others and helping them succeed — even when no one’s watching (especially when no one is watching).
That’s what heart-centered leadership looks like.
That’s why it works.
Letting Go of Ego
When we let go of ego and lead from a place of service, we create the conditions for real transformation — for our teams and for ourselves.
So ask yourself:
Where might ego be getting in your way?
Leadership, at its best, isn’t about you.
It never was.
That’s the point.
“Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds.”
— Alexander Graham Bell