Busting The Leadership Obsession
Open LinkedIn, and it’s hard to miss: post after post preaching about leadership. How to be an inspirational leader. The 10 traits of great leaders. How to lead with empathy, strategy, or vision. The message is constant: leadership is the golden ticket. If you’re not leading, you’re not succeeding.
What if our obsession with leadership has narrowed our understanding of how we define success and the meaning of work?
Why We’re Obsessed with Leadership
There are a few reasons leadership has been elevated to the pinnacle of success:
Cultural conditioning. From school through to corporate ladders, we’re taught that progress means “moving up” and moving up means managing others. It’s the default career expectation.
Status signalling. Leadership roles come with prestige, the big title, the big office, the “boss” narrative that looks impressive on a résumé or LinkedIn headline.
Business bias. Organisations often measure value by hierarchy. The further up you are, the more power and influence you’re perceived to have.
It’s no wonder we’ve normalised the idea that if you’re not leading, you’re somehow falling behind.
The Problem With the Leadership Myth
The obsession with leadership as the endgame creates very real problems.
Reluctant managers. Many people are promoted for their performance, not their passion for leading. The result? Overstretched, disengaged managers who never wanted the role.
Burnout. The constant push to “move up” convinces people they’re failing if they choose fulfilment over hierarchy.
Devalued contributors. Those who thrive as individual contributors, experts, creators, and operators are often overlooked, despite being essential to a company’s success.
The reality is that leadership isn’t for everyone. And it shouldn’t have to be.
A Lesson From the Factory Floor
About a decade ago, I was working as a consultant with a national FMCG client. To stay close to the heartbeat of the business, I’d take a shift on the manufacturing line every couple of months.
What I discovered was eye-opening. The majority of staff weren’t chasing promotions or leadership roles. They enjoyed their work, their routines, their camaraderie. They didn’t need a title to feel fulfilled. They wanted recognition, respect, and the satisfaction of doing their jobs well.
When I left, the team pooled together to buy me a gift. Some cried, not a plug for myself, but an observation. You see, they didn’t care that I held a “leadership” role. What mattered was that I’d taken the time to listen. That moment exposed the flaw in our thinking: we overrate leadership and underrate contribution, yet one cannot exist without the other.
Rethinking the Fetishism
We need to dismantle the idea that leadership equals success. The reality is:
Leadership should be a choice, not an expectation.
Fulfilment comes in many forms: Mastery, creativity, camaraderie and contribution matter as much as managing others.
Businesses need contributors as much as leaders. Leaders see the big picture, but contributors live the detail, the nuance, the execution. Both are indispensable. Growth isn’t always “up.” Lateral moves, more profound expertise, and new challenges can be just as rewarding financially and personally.
I call this Leaning Out: permitting people to step away from the pressure to lead, and celebrating them for choosing the path that fits them best.
The future of work won’t be measured by how many leaders we create. It will be measured by how many people feel respected, fulfilled, and valued in the roles they choose, whether that’s managing teams or mastering their craft.
Here’s a radical thought: leadership isn’t the pinnacle. Fulfilment is.
My opinion only, as always, I’d love to hear yours: Do you think we’ve put leadership on too much of a pedestal?