Is leadership too important to be left to those in authority?

Why leadership must be earned, lived and baked into the DNA of the business….  not left in the hands of those in authority.

In 2026, leadership is going to be even more key to business success, it’s going to be even more essential especially given the push for AI and the impact this will have on human only traits and experiences in business. Leadership is not a development programme, a competency framework or a line on an org chart.

In short leadership has become one of the biggest differentiators between organisations that adapt, grow and perform (sustainably) and those that stall, fragment or even fail (Nokia).

And yet it seems too many organisations still treat leadership as something reserved for those in authority, those with titles or those at the top.

That’s a mistake as leadership is too important to be left in the hands of the few.

Authority does not equal leadership

Can we agree that having the title of ‘leader’ does not entitle you to lead? It gives you some authority, yes, but authority and leadership are not the same thing. Authority gives you the power to decide where as leadership earns you the willingness of others to follow, to engage, to problem solve and to give you access to their skills, creative and ambition.

People in the main don’t follow titles – a few might – but they tend follow behaviour and consistency. They follow those who create clarity, safety, belief and momentum. Simon Sinek captures this simply by saying that ‘Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.’ That idea alone dismantles the myth that leadership is positional. Leadership is relational and it is lived rather than announced or demanded.

Leadership is behaviour, not a job role

If leadership is to be earned, then it must show up in behaviour not just at the top, but across the organisation.

This is where leadership and culture collide, usefully. Culture is not values on a wall as some businesses think, those that know, know. Culture is often noted as ‘how we do things around here when no one is watching’. Culture is better thought of as how decisions are made, how people are treated, how mistakes are handled, obstacles overcome, how pressure shows up and how success is recognised and shared.

Leadership, therefore, is not confined to boardrooms and senior teams. It exists, or it doesn’t, in meetings, conversations, emails, decisions and everyday actions. It directly links to and influences culture on a daily basis.

If leadership only lives at the top then likelihood is that culture tends to collapse in the middle.

Leadership starts with leading self

The SAS, as an example, note that before you can lead others, you must be able to lead self. This is born out in their phrase ‘grip self, grip team, grip task’. Leadership of self is about awareness, emotional intelligence, ownership and accountability. It’s about how individuals manage their energy, emotions, mindset and behaviour, especially under pressure.

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, has spoken often about this inner dimension of leadership. One of his most quoted reflections is ‘the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life’ (originally noted by Carol S. Dweck at Stanford). That self view shapes how leaders listen, learn, respond to challenge and invite contribution.

When people (leaders and managers) struggle to lead themselves, they tend to default to blame, defensiveness or control. When they can lead self then they more usually model desirable behaviours such as responsibility, curiosity, creativity and resilience, and that ripples outward across the team and organisation.

One might consider that leadership cultures are built one individual at a time.

Leadership is part of the business DNA

High performing organisations don’t ‘do leadership’ occasionally, when its trendy or there’s a budget for it. Leadership tends to be woven into the DNA of how the business operates.

You might notice it in how it shows up around how -

·        Problems are solved

·        Decisions are made

·        Conflict is handled

·        People are developed

·        Accountability works

This is why leadership and culture cannot be separated. Together, they enable people to be at their best more often, to better deliver strategy, hit goals and execute change more effectively, not because they are told to, but because the environment encourages them and makes it possible.

A great strategy in a weak leadership culture will tend to fail to achieve what it could, every time. Where as a strong healthy leadership culture can rescue an imperfect strategy.

Psychological safety, trust and permission to lead

If leadership is to exist beyond the few and become part of the DNA, people must feel and be allowed to lead, to be creative, share ideas, make a decision and take responsibility.

This requires psychological safety. People need to know they can speak up, challenge ideas, try things, admit mistakes and take responsibility without fear of humiliation or punishment. As Sinek puts it, when people feel safe with one another, they naturally work together to face challenges outside the organisation.

I once heard some one say that ‘trust is the fuel and safety is the container’. Without them both, leadership gets pushed back upward, making decision making slow as people wait to be told what to do. With them, then leadership has the opportunity to multiply, to flourish and to be your healthy competitive advantage.

Developing leadership, not just leaders

Here’s the shift many organisations still haven’t made, and that is this - Leadership is not about developing a few ‘high potentials’.

It’s about developing leadership capability across the business.

That doesn’t mean everyone becomes a manager. It means people are encouraged to think, take ownership, make decisions, solve problems and lead from where they stand.

Great leaders don’t hoard leadership, they actively seek to create and develop more of it. Their role becomes less about control and more about -

·        Setting clear direction

·        Connecting people and opportunities

·        Removing obstacles and bottle necks

·        Creating space for others to step up and grow

As Sinek says, a leader’s role isn’t to have all the great ideas, it’s to create the environment where great ideas can happen. And I would take that further and suggest that good leaders help others nurture and grow those ideas, solving problem, making improvements and such like, so they develop people, leadership, engagement and such like, as well as the business.

Leadership cannot be left to the few

When leadership is concentrated at the top, you might see organisations become slow, fragile and dependent on the few. The result includes increased pressure and frustration at the time, no time to think and unhelpful communication and moaning. When leadership is embedded in the culture, it gives organisations far more energy to become adaptive, resilient, healthier and capable.

In 2026, we don’t need more heroic leaders, those with megaphones and egos. We (people) need better leadership systems, we need leaders who are a bit less ego driven, a bit less controlling and a lot more intentional about the environments they create.

Frankly, we need leaders to be a bit less shit at leading.

Leadership today is even more about creating the conditions where people can do what they do best, even better. Where leadership is a way of being, not a job title. Where culture and leadership work together to turn strategy into reality ( think about Drucker’s Strategy, Culture & Leadership model)

Leadership is too important to be left in the hands of those in authority. It belongs in the behaviour, the culture, and the everyday life of the business.

Leadership is too important to be left to those in authority

Leadership is broken, slow, weak and inconsistent in far too many organisations, arguably it’s not because people don’t care, but more because we’ve confused authority with leadership.

In 2026, we cant afford for this confusion to continue costing businesses time, relationships, talent, money and missed opportunities.

Titles don’t make leaders, org charts don’t create followership and strategy doesn’t get delivered just because it’s been announced from the top. Leadership has to be earned, it needs to be lived through behaviour and embedded into the culture of the business and not left in the hands of a few people with senior job titles and fat pay packets.

Real leadership starts with how people lead themselves, how safe your people and teams feel to speak up, how decisions are made under pressure and how (or if) obstacles and bottlenecks are removed so people can better perform. We might be better to think of leadership as a way of being rather than a role. When leadership is low or even missing, then even the best strategy will fail to deliver what it could or should.

In closing

This article lightly looks at what leadership is, why it can’t be left to those in authority alone and how leadership and culture combine to enable people to deliver results, and not just talk about them.

If you care about performance, productivity, people and building a business that works better and more efficiently - this is for you…..

…. because leadership is too important to get wrong.

How PJ helps leaders be better in 2026

Here’s the thing about leadership and development in 2026 that I believe, most leaders don’t need more theory of leadership, they really dont. Leaders need vision, focus, challenge and practical support to lead better, for everyone’s sake.

That’s where PJ Stevens is different.

PJ doesn’t do fluffy leadership development or generic programmes that look good but change very little. His work focuses on helping leaders sort their shit out, personally, in teams and across the business so strategy, culture, behaviours and resources actually align.

Through focussed coaching like the 100-Day Leadership Programme, PJ helps leaders move from intention to execution, building focus, confidence and momentum where it matters. His on-demand coaching gives leaders real-time thinking space, not therapy but practical challenge and support when help is needed or decisions matter most.

At the heart of his work is the EXACT Process, a proven framework that helps leaders tip the balance of success in their favour, deliver any change, programme or transformation more efficiently and effectively.

PJ works with leaders who know leadership matters and who are honest enough to admit they can and need to do it better.

Because in 2026 we have a wonderful opportunity for leaders to create the conditions for people and businesses to perform.

Shay McConnon.

Thanks to my long time mentor and friend Shay, who inspired this article. Shay and I were talking about Leadership and importance of leaders and leadership.