The Secret to High-Impact Leadership? Knowing What Role You’re Playing
“Who is your team?”
I remember being asked this question by a senior executive during a mentoring conversation.
As the leader of the Marketing function, I thought the answer was obvious—the Marketing team I lead.
Wrong.
Yes, I lead the Marketing function, but I am also part of the Leadership Team. His perspective: my team was, in fact, the Leadership Team—not the function I managed.
I’m not sure if 100% agreed but the provocation did make me pause and reflect:
“What are all the teams I’m in?”
The truth is, I’m part of many “teams”:
The Marketing team I lead
The Leadership Team I belong to
The broader Regional Marketing team
Various cross-functional project teams
This is true whether you’re a people leader or an individual contributor.
💭Ask yourself “What are all the teams I’m in?”
Your “teams” are not limited to your direct reports or your position on the org chart.
The next question I began to ask myself was:
“What’s my role in each of these teams?”
What I’ve learned is that my role differs based on the team and the context.
It’s relatively easy to function in a team with clear structure, defined roles, and strong governance. But often, it can be less formal and more fluid. In my early days of leading people, I made unconscious decisions that situated myself in the driver’s seat to get momentum going—only to realise I unintentionally disempowered others. Other times, I’ve seen projects stall because the person meant to lead hesitated to take the wheel.
Once I became more conscious of all the teams I was part of, I began showing up more intentionally in each context.
Let’s work through a couple of examples.
👐Example: My Role in the Marketing Team
As the leader of a country marketing function, my role is to coach and support my team members who drive our marketing strategy and lead the execution of activities.
✅ My role is:
To set a clear vision
Define annual goals
Reinforce performance standards and team culture
Champion desired behaviours
❌ My role is not:
Solving every problem
Leading every meeting
Making every decision
Micromanaging execution
Because I’m clear on what my role is (and what it is not), I show up with greater clarity.
Let’s say a team member shares a challenge with a key stakeholder. Since I see myself as a coach in that moment, I listen, ask reflective questions, and guide them to their next step.
What I don’t do is jump in and solve the problem for them. That would rob them of a chance to learn. Instead, I support—then step back.
💼 Example: My Role on the Leadership Team
Now let’s shift to another team context: the Leadership Team.
Here, my peers are directors of other business functions, and we report to the same manager. In this team, I don’t act as a coach—I show up as a strategic partner.
We work on the business together—not just in it. Our lens shifts between short-term execution and long-term strategic planning. We bring our functional expertise, but we solve problems for the overall business, not just our own domains.
In this team, I could be spearheading an initiative that impacts the commercial business. That’s a very different role from coaching my direct reports.
💭 Ask yourself “What role should I be playing right now?”
Show up with clarity and intention based on the team and moment you're in.
💡 Why This Makes You a Better Leader
You may have one job title but we're not always playing the same role.
Your self awareness, ability to flex and respond to what is needed in any given situation is leadership agility.
It is not a ‘one-size fits all’ approach when it comes to leading people. This mental model gives you a lens to interpret team dynamics and take purposeful action—so you can lead with greater impact across the organisation.
And it’s something you can easily share with your team or mentees.
Use it in coaching conversations to encourage reflection:
“What team are you in?”
“What role do you need to play right now?”
“Is this a moment to lead, support, or step back?”
Was this helpful? Is this something you already practice or would start doing? Let me know in the comments below 👇 or restack to share with others!