Leadership Is a Team Sport

By John Roberts, CEO – Leadership Collective Australia, 5-minute read 

The more senior you become, the fewer people you can think openly with. That’s the real risk of leadership—not capability, but perspective.

Many senior leaders will say they don’t have time for networking. Others simply don’t enjoy it. At Leadership Collective Australia (LCA), we understand why.

Traditional networking often feels transactional, superficial, and disconnected from the real work of leadership. Yet the irony is this: as leaders become more senior, the quality of their relationships outside their organisation matters more than ever.

The most effective leaders don’t rely on chance encounters or ad hoc conversations. They deliberately invest in relationships that help them think clearly, lead well, and make better decisions over time.

Through our work with C-suite executives, we see three distinct types of relationships that underpin strong leadership:

1. Execution-Focused Relationships

Most leaders develop these naturally.

These are the relationships relied on inside an organisation to deliver outcomes—driving collaboration, alignment, and execution.

They are essential, but on their own, they are not enough—particularly as roles become broader and more complex.

2. Developmental Relationships

These sit outside the organisation and are often built around shared interests, experiences,

or career growth.

They support personal development, learning, and exposure to new ideas—through professional associations, alumni networks, and peer communities.

Valuable, but often unstructured.

3. Perspective-Shaping Relationships

This is where many senior leaders are least supported—and where the greatest value lies.

At senior levels, leaders often lose access to honest feedback and fresh perspective—not because it isn’t needed, but because it’s harder to access without consequence.

Internal conversations can be constrained by hierarchy, politics, and expectations.

That’s why trusted peer environments matter. Spaces where leaders can:

• Test thinking without judgement

• Learn from others facing similar complexity

• Share experience, not theory

• Build perspective beyond their own organisation

Over time, these relationships become a critical source of insight, challenge, and support.

As leaders progress, their role shifts from execution to influence, foresight, and long-term impact.

Strategic relationships don’t just support leadership—they shape it. They help leaders see what’s coming, challenge assumptions, and make better decisions earlier.

Why do many senior leaders get stuck?

A common trap is believing that as you move into more senior roles, relationship-building becomes less important. In reality, the opposite is true.

As responsibility increases, leaders need:

• Fewer opinions, but higher quality ones

• Less noise, but better perspective

• Safe spaces to think, not perform

Without this, even highly capable leaders can become isolated, reactive, or overly inward-focused.

From Operator to Strategist: Building a Network That Shapes the Future

Shifting from operational to strategic networking isn’t about meeting more people—it’s about being more intentional with where you invest your time and attention.

1. Rethink Your Role

Many leaders stay anchored in what made them successful—execution. That strength can quietly become a constraint.

• Make relationship-building part of the role, not an optional extra

• Zoom out to the 2–5 year horizon and ask bigger questions

• Step back from being the daily “go-to” to create space for strategic thinking

2. Take Back Your Time

You can’t build high-value relationships if your calendar is consumed by operational demands.

• Delegate ownership, not just tasks

• Stay informed without stepping into everything—“eyes on, hands off”

• Protect time for thinking, external conversations, and perspective-building

3. Build at the Intersections

Strategic insight often sits at the intersection of industries, functions, and experiences.

• Seek out adjacent thinkers with different perspectives

• Go deeper with a small number of high-quality relationships

• Use shared interests as a gateway to more meaningful conversations

4. Lead with Value

Strong networks are built before you need them—and sustained through contribution.

• Offer value first: insights, connections, perspective

• Invest consistently to build trust over time

  
  

The Takeaway

Leadership isn’t a solo act.

The most effective leaders don’t just build networks—they build the right ones. Relationships that challenge their thinking, expand their perspective, and improve the quality of their decisions.

At LCA, we see this play out every day inside trusted peer groups, where leaders step outside their organisation and into conversations that sharpen how they lead.

If you’re not intentionally building these relationships, it’s worth asking—where are you getting your perspective from?