Why being an expert can hold you back as a leader

Posted on 22 January, 2025

Imagine you’ve just landed a role as the conductor of a popular orchestra. People flock from all over to witness your unique style, and as you raise your baton to signal the start, confusion sets in as you pick up a violin and attempt to play it simultaneously.

The audience watches in disbelief as you juggle the baton and violin before going on to unseat a cellist, blow a few notes on a trumpet, and make a quick sprint to pound on the drums. By the final note, you’re exhausted, and everyone else is left wondering what just happened.

While even the thought of such a scenario might seem ridiculous, executive coach Dr Kim Vella says there are countless people in leadership positions who act this way every day.

“Most workplaces reward expertise over leadership,” says Kim. “So they’ll place a brilliant violinist in a conductor role and expect them to do both, and with limited conductor training. Of course, the violinist-turned-conductor can only do both roles half as well, and may even feel pressured to play other instruments just to keep the music going. It’s a recipe for burnout, and disaster.

“Leadership is not about being an expert who can play every note on every instrument. It’s about conducting the orchestra. We need a new generation of conductors who understand that expert mode is not only limiting for themselves, but disempowering for others. Their team has instruments ready to play, but if the conductor is always playing for them, they’re left with nothing.”

Kim notes that while people can be quick to label leaders who act this way ‘micromanagers’, often their behaviour is actually the result of workplace culture.

“Leaders commonly believe they need to be the smartest person in the room to gain respect and recognition. This can even be contrary to their nature – they don’t really want to be the focus of attention. Yet they feel a constant pressure to prove their worth, which includes saying yes to everything and attempting to solve every problem.

“It’s particularly evident in the public sector where leaders operate under heightened scrutiny and need to navigate rapid changes, complex reforms, and ever-evolving demands. How do they balance the expectations of so many stakeholders, while fostering cohesion between established and new staff, and driving change with compassion and empathy? All while protecting their own wellbeing?

“It takes an advanced level of leadership skills to do this, and to do it with confidence and courage. Yet these skills – the skills of a brilliant orchestrator instead of an expert – aren’t being taught.”

Given the right skills, Kim believes every leader has the ability to make a meaningful impact, not just from the work they do but the gravitas they embody.

“A leader with advanced leadership skills, who knows how to operate in the very complex environment we find ourselves in, commands respect purely for how they conduct themselves and others. They also understand that their own wellbeing is central to sustaining high performance as a leader, so they prioritise it in ways others don’t know how to do.”

Collaborating with renowned organisational psychologists and leadership mentors, Kim has made it her mission to develop a series of workshops that teach these very skills.

“Many public sector leaders want to make the transition from expert to orchestrator and don’t know how. The Leadership Strategies Series teaches them. We’re using advanced psychometric tools, sharing cutting-edge leadership strategies, and developing tailored action plans. These are all delivered over 32+ hours of collaborative learning and mentoring, with a staged approach so people can apply their learning and regroup to share experiences and get feedback.

“Every aspect of the Leadership Strategies Series is designed to cultivate the confident, high-performing, sustainable leaders our future public service needs. Most importantly, though, it will empower leaders to recognise and step into a new form of leadership that helps them reach their highest potential.”

To demonstrate how the Leadership Strategies Series will do this, Kim is running free monthly webinars for public sector leaders. Portia Hickey, a renowned international organisational psychologist and faculty member of the Leadership Strategies Series, will join Kim for the upcoming February webinar.

“Portia brings groundbreaking insights from her work with global thought leaders to address leadership challenges. She has collaborated with experts from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, including Professors Smets and Morris, to develop tools and strategies that help leaders balance high performance with sustainability.

“We will be facilitating the February webinar together to provide actionable insights – sharing why your competitive advantage as a public sector leader starts with understanding the Saïd Business School’s Swirl Model, and one practical takeaway that participants can apply immediately in their leadership context.”