Why the Right Leader Can Change Everything
January 8, 2026
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During an intense, intellectual, and almost philosophical discussion about higher education and its future, I asked my sparring partner a direct question.
“What does your university need to ensure it doesn’t become a gravestone in a graveyard?”
Without hesitation, she said, “We must hire the right leader as our next University President.”
She continued, “With the tsunami of expectations from parents because of the cost and AI coming right at us, we can’t afford to miss. The new President must be willing to confront complacency, make hard decisions, and have a vision people will rally around.”
My first thought was complete agreement. My second thought was, what incredible pressure to put on one person.
When I mentioned that tension, she responded with clarity.
“The best leaders don’t run from that pressure because they know they can’t do it all,” she said. “They have to bring people along and get the right people around them to make it happen.”
What she understood is a fundamental truth about leadership.
One leader can change everything, but one leader can't do everything.
You have probably felt the weight of leadership. You have stared life altering decisions right in the face. You have taken over a role where the team is beat down and disengaged. If so, know you are the key, but not the key to unlock every door.
Changing everything does not mean touching every decision or being involved in every outcome.
It means changing the direction, the belief, and the standards of the organization. When those shift, behavior, momentum, and results follow.
That kind of change does not require a leader to do more. It requires a leader to see clearly, decide what truly matters, and align others around it.
A modern example makes this easier to see.
Sports are not a perfect microcosm of leadership in business, but they are relatable, and many lessons translate cleanly.
One team that reached the 2026 college football semifinals was almost completely overlooked: the Ole Miss Rebels.
Just a few years ago, they were the doormat of the SEC. When Ole Miss hired Lane Kiffin, things changed quickly.
But Kiffin did not do it alone. One of his lynchpins was defensive coordinator Pete Goldin, among many others who helped build the system, culture, and expectations.
When an offer from LSU to become their head football coach came shortly after the playoffs began, he made the difficult decision to leave his team at the pinnacle of its season.
Most people expected the team to fall apart, but the opposite happened.
Goldin stepped in as head coach and propelled them to back-to-back victories in the college football playoffs, carrying them into the national semifinal.
When asked in a press conference what message he would send about their improbable run, Goldin said this:
“The message is that I’m replaceable. You’re replaceable. Our players are replaceable. You want to build a program that’s heading in the right direction, and one person isn’t going to derail that. When there has been real investment and alignment, one person is not going to impact it so drastically. It’s a team game. The timing of when Kiffin left was good because everything was already in place thanks to him.”
What Goldin understands is this: without the people, the system, and the expectations in place, leadership does not scale. When those are present, the leader can step away, and the direction holds, at least for a little while, if quality leadership steps into its place.
Because one leader can change everything, but one leader can’t do everything.
Maybe you want that weight of leadership. Maybe you want the opportunity to be the magnet that shifts culture and rallies people together.
If so, we need more leaders like that. Leaders who do not run from challenge, but move toward it. Because it is the challenge that shapes us.
Every leader doesn’t have to look the same, but there are non-negotiables for leaders who want to change everything without trying to do it all.
Trust is invisible; it’s an intangible. However, every person knows how strong it is without much thought.
But the tricky thing about trust is its best kind is always earned, not given. And the best way to earn is it in drips. When your words match your actions. When your decisions are consistent, and when people feel safer when you are in the room.
A great way to think about it is, “Trust is earned in drips, and it’s lost in buckets.”
When trust is present, leadership scales. When it is missing, everything slows down and funnels back to you.
People should not need you to be present to know what matters. They should be able to repeat the principles. They should be able to repeat your priorities. Because they understand the why behind decisions and can act without waiting for approval.
A great way to think about it is, if people cannot repeat the message, they cannot run with it.
If team members can't repeat the message, they cannot run with it.
Clarity is how leaders multiply their impact.
Strong leaders do not hoard relevance, because they are relevant whether they want to be or not.
What they do exceptionally well is invite and expect others to take ownership over their sphere of influence. They allow team members the space to learn, and they run.
When leadership is effective, decisions spread, ownership deepens, and the organization becomes stronger than any one individual.
If everything still runs through you, leadership has not yet fully taken hold.
Leaders set the emotional climate of the team, whether they intend to or not.
When leaders mirror the mood of the room, they lose their effectiveness. This doesn’t mean they can’t be excited when everyone else is excited. But the best leaders are cognizant of bringing the opposite of the energy in the room.
If a situation is frantic, you must be calm and thoughtful. If the juice is low, you must bring the energy.
In many ways, leadership is a constant practice of energy management. Being calm when required and excited when needed.
Teams do their best work when someone is steady enough to bring the weather instead of reacting to it.
Leadership is not about becoming indispensable. It is about building something that does not collapse without you.
If you want to change everything, stop trying to do everything. Get clear on what is true, set an inspiring direction, and establish high standards and expectations. Then surround yourself with people who can carry it forward.
That is not less leadership. That is leadership done right.
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About the Author: John Eades is the CEO of LearnLoft and The Sales Infrastructure. He was named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices. John is also the author of Building the Best: 8 Proven Leadership Principles to Elevate Others to Success. You can follow him on Instagram @johngeades.
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