49. From Proving Yourself to Backing Yourself

Are you the bottleneck in your organisation? What if your greatest leadership contribution isn't solving every problem, but creating the conditions where others can thrive without you?

I've been reflecting on a pattern I keep seeing in leaders—this constant pressure to prove our worth by being indispensable. Yet the organisations that truly transform are the ones where leadership doesn't depend on any single person staying in the room. This episode explores a fundamental shift: moving from proving yourself to backing yourself, and what that means for creating lasting impact.

Drawing on insights from my conversation with James McCulloch, CEO of Victim Support New Zealand, I unpack what it takes to build systems that outlive your tenure, why organisations often reward heroics over sustainability, and how small, consistent choices can shift you from being the solution to creating the space where solutions emerge.

You'll explore:

• The hidden cost of trying to prove your worth through constant intervention
• Why backing yourself changes everything about how you show up
• What sustainable leadership actually looks like in practice
• How to create conditions for others to succeed rather than being the sole hero
• The shift from individual heroics to building systems that thrive
• Why true leadership effectiveness is measured by the capability you build in others

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