A pattern I see time and again working with world-class leaders all over the world.
It’s that the teams they are a part of work hard to create powerful leadership experiences that aren’t about individual brilliance. They’re about the impact of the whole.
At a slew of recent events focused on senior leadership teams, the feedback that really stood out hasn’t been about any one person or speaker . It’s been about the experience as a whole. The sense of shared clarity, of feeling a part of something much bigger.
That’s when you know it’s landed.
Yes, strong voices matter. The real win is when people leave not thinking “she was impressive” or “he nailed it,” but “I’ feel like I’m part of something incredible and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
It’s the difference between “We’re amazing” as oippsosed to “You’re amazing”
It reminds me of the story of the two Prime Ministers - Gladstone and Disraeli: one left people thinking he was clever. The other left them thinking they were.
That’s great leadership.
Not about being the standout.
But about bringing people together in a way that makes everyone feel seen, heard, and part of something so much bigger.
Here’s 3 experiments to play with this idea.
The 1-Minute Experiment: Ask a Better Question
Next time you’re in a 1:1 or team get together, ask this:
“What did someone else do today that made your job easier?”
It takes 60 seconds and redirects attention from individual effort to team contribution.
The 5-Minute Experiment: What was our best moment as a team
At the end of your next meeting or event, take five minutes to ask:
“If someone was watching us today, what would they say was our best moment as a team?”
10-Minute Experiment: The ‘We Timeline’
Take 10 minutes with your team to create a fast, visual timeline of your last 3–6 months.
But here’s the twist: only use moments of shared success. The things that only happened because you pulled together.
It might just help surface patterns around better collaboration, not just outcomes.