For years, we’ve been sold a version of leadership that equates power with knowledge. The best leaders, we’re told, are the ones who have climbed the highest, acquired the most expertise, and carry the most impressive titles. But in a world of increasing complexity, leaders who rely on being ‘the expert’ are failing. The future of leadership isn’t about knowing more—it’s about creating environments where better thinking happens.
A few years ago, I was invited to meet the female CEO of an organisation I had long admired from afar. I had been asked to facilitate an executive leadership summit by another senior leader, and this meeting was meant to be a discussion about the event.
I arrived on time. She was 30 minutes late. When I finally walked into her office, she didn’t look up. No acknowledgment, no greeting. She simply began to grill me on my career history.
“What have you done?” she asked.
She wasn’t interested in my insights, my ability to read a room, or my intuition—the very skills that would determine my success in facilitating the summit. She was looking for titles, for positions of power, for external validation that I was ‘worthy’ of being in the room.
At that moment, it struck me: leaders who value ‘doing’ over ‘being’ are missing out on the very essence of what makes leadership impactful.
The belief that leadership is about having all the answers is outdated. The best leaders aren’t those who dominate conversations with their expertise. They are those who create the conditions for the best thinking to emerge.
Instead of focusing on what they know, truly impactful leaders focus on:
Orchestrating Great Conversations
The smartest leader in the room is the one who asks the questions that unlock deeper insights from others. They create an environment where the collective intelligence of the group is harnessed.
Building a Culture of Psychological Safety
Teams don’t need a leader who knows everything. They need a leader who makes it safe to challenge assumptions, explore new ideas, and admit when something isn’t working.
Recognising That Expertise Has an Expiry Date
Technical knowledge becomes outdated. Strategies need constant reinvention. The best leaders stay adaptable, humble, and open to learning from anyone—regardless of rank or title.
The CEO I met that day was leading from an old paradigm—one that placed authority over awareness, status over substance. But the leaders who will thrive in the future are those who lead by designing the right conversations, encouraging inquiry, and building teams that think better together.
At Leaderbeing, we believe leadership isn’t about how much you know. It’s about how effectively you create the conditions for others to contribute, challenge, and grow.
So here’s the real question: Are you leading to prove your worth, or to bring out the best in others?
