It’s AFL Grand Final week in Melbourne and I love it. The city feels electric, there’s a buzz in the air, and I’m secretly hoping the Brisbane Lions bring home back-to-back victories.
But here’s what I’ve been thinking: while sport gives us these huge moments of celebration and legacy, leadership isn’t always built in stadiums or on big stages. It’s built in quieter spaces – in rooms where we choose to make space for others.
At our recent Lead.Her Collective™ Dinner, one of our guests arrived feeling nervous. She was stepping into a room full of accomplished women she didn’t yet know. She wondered whether she belonged there.
But something shifted that evening. She was welcomed. She was listened to. She was embraced as part of the conversation, not because of her title, but because of who she was.
The next day, she told us she left the dinner “walking taller.” That’s the ripple effect of leadership in action.
Leadership is about the space we create
Too often, we picture leaders as the ones who hold the mic, do all the talking or sit at the head of the table. But in my experience, the strongest leaders are the ones who create space for others to speak, to be seen, to feel safe enough to bring their whole selves forward.
That’s what happens when the intention is right. Real leadership is less about holding the spotlight and more about widening the circle so someone else can step into their own.
The ripple effect is real. One moment of courage. One conversation. One choice to say, “You belong here.” That’s the kind of leadership that multiplies.
Giving is part of leading
On the same evening, we also heard about the Fitted for Work Giving Circle – a new initiative that brings women together to amplify their impact. This Giving Circle is about more than philanthropy. It’s about investing in possibility, in confidence, in the kind of change that lifts women up so they too can walk taller.
You can learn more about the Giving Circle here: Fitted for Work Giving Circle.
For me, the link between the two moments is clear. Leadership is not about doing it alone. It’s about the circles we form, the space we hold, and the ripples we send out into the world.
Legacy isn’t later. It’s now
The woman who left the dinner feeling taller didn’t just have a nice evening. She experienced what it means when leaders choose presence over polish, connection over competition. That’s legacy. Not something we leave behind someday, but something we build in moments like this.