The journey from individual contributor to leader requires a fundamental shift in mindset. The more responsibility and authority you gain, the greater the impact your words and actions have. What was once a suggestion from you can increasingly be perceived as an instruction or even an order by others. If you aspire to leadership, you have to learn to move beyond making it about yourself. It is no longer about demonstrating how smart you are, how much you know, or proving that you have all the answers. Leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room. It is about recognising and developing the potential in others, including people who may have significantly more technical expertise or academic knowledge than you do.

Can you put your own ego aside and create an environment where others can challenge you, bring different perspectives, and ultimately become better at what they do? It sounds straightforward in theory, but it can be extremely challenging in practice. I think the real measure of leadership is not how much you know or what you can achieve individually. It is how effectively you enable others to grow, develop and succeed.