The Secret Behind Great Leadership? The Team Around You

Reflections from a day that brought 4,000 people together.

Last week, I had the privilege of being part of a volunteer team that delivered a hugely successful community event. Over the course of the day, we hosted around 4,000 people — families, friends, neighbours, colleagues and strangers — all coming together in celebration, connection and joy.

It wasn’t just the numbers that marked its success. It was the atmosphere, the flow, the shared sense of purpose. While I wasn’t the event lead — that role belonged to someone else, someone I have deep respect for — I was fortunate to play a key support role, helping hold things together when needed. It also placed me in the perfect position to observe the event through a leadership lens.

As I reflect on what made this event (and others like it) so successful, one truth stands out: One of a leader’s greatest secrets to success is the team they build around them.

Sincere intentions, diverse strengths

This wasn’t just a group of capable individuals thrown together. This was a team built on sincere intention — each person showing up with a desire to serve the community and make something good happen.

I’ve been part of many teams — in workplaces, on sports fields, in community spaces — and the ones that succeed, even against the odds, always share one thing: sincere intention. That’s not to say intention alone guarantees success, but I’ve seen time and again that when people are united by a purpose that’s bigger than themselves, they always find a way through.

While our intention was shared, we couldn’t have been more diverse — not only in background, culture (eight nationalities among 13 people) and age — but also in capability. Some were logistical geniuses. Others had a sharp eye for detail. Some worked the frontlines with people skills and diplomacy, while others quietly kept everything running behind the scenes.

No one person had all the answers. But together? We covered all the bases.

Leadership that elevates, not dominates

Intention and capability are essential — but they’re not enough on their own. What truly unlocked our potential was the kind of leadership that invited difference, harnessed it and helped it thrive toward a shared purpose. It was leadership that elevated — knowing when to step forward and when to step back. It trusted others to lead in their own strengths, offered support without micromanagement and protected the integrity of the vision when things got fuzzy.

What enabled that? A team culture where ego was left at the door.

Ideas were heard based on merit, not hierarchy. Roles were respected, not inflated. And when challenges came (as they always do), problems were attacked, not people. It wasn’t about blame — it was about stepping in to help, adjust and move forward.

Leadership is a mirror

A team reflects its leadership. And in times of pressure, that reflection becomes crystal clear.

What I saw at this event wasn’t just a capable team — it was a group that looked after one another, made decisions on the fly, resolved tension gracefully and kept the shared purpose front and centre.

That doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from modelling values, clarity of purpose and trust.

One of the standout features of this team was how we responded when things went wrong. Timelines shifted. Equipment failed. People forgot things. And sometimes, tensions rose. But there was a quiet, collective agreement: mistakes will happen — but we protect each other’s dignity.

That’s real leadership. It’s easy to lead when everything is going right. But when it’s not? That’s when your culture is tested. And what I witnessed — and tried to model myself — was a kind of leadership that asked, “How can I help?” instead of “Who’s to blame?”

Because ultimately, people remember how they were treated far more than any checklist or deliverable. And, in any organisation, but especially so when relying on volunteers, this is paramount.

A quiet leadership lesson

Here’s the leadership lesson I’m taking away from this experience: The secret isn’t being the smartest, the loudest or the most experienced in the room.

The secret is building the kind of team where people are trusted, valued and given room to lead in their own way.

Which means:

✅ Egos are parked at the door.

✅ Dignity is protected — especially in hard moments.

✅ Leadership is a shared responsibility, not a title on a name badge.

🪄 Because when that’s the culture? Magic happens.

And if the smiles, laughter and sheer joy we witnessed from thousands of attendees were anything to go by — I’d say that kind of leadership is worth replicating.

Want to shape the kind of leadership that brings people together instead of pulling rank?

Let’s talk about building strong teams that serve with humility, hold each other with dignity and deliver results.