When Chris Fagan first stood in front of the Brisbane Lions player group as their new coach in 2017, he spoke for barely 10 minutes. He shared a few lessons from Hawthorn, made it clear that the club would be player-led, and then stepped back to hand them the floor.
It was a small moment, but it set the tone for everything that followed.
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For many who are new to a leadership role, the instinct is to take charge, set expectations, and demonstrate certainty. Fagan did the opposite. He signalled humility, invited contribution, and handed ownership to the people closest to the work. Having witnessed this first address and working alongside Fagan since, I’ve seen how an ego-free approach to leadership can transform performance.
And while the example here is elite sport, this same approach can apply to any workplace.
There’s a persistent myth that humility equals softness, but in reality, it is a competitive advantage. It creates the psychological safety people need to speak up, experiment, and take responsibility. Author Jim Collins famously described the highest-performing CEOs as ‘Level 5 leaders,’ those who are ambitious for the organisation, but personally humble. They take responsibility when things go poorly, credit their teams when things go well, and build environments where success can continue long after they leave.
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Fagan reflects that style of leadership and has always been open about not having all the answers. He is also the first to admit his mistakes. I’ve seen him stand in front of the team after a loss and say he ‘over-coached’ them. This kind of honesty in a leader changes the behaviour of everyone around them.
Key to Fagan’s empowerment of others is his continual reinforcement that mistakes are part of the journey. As the club was rebuilding, he talked about ‘failing our way to the top’ and about ‘either winning or learning’. This created a culture where players felt safe to speak up, take responsibility, and learn from mistakes rather than hide them.
It’s a lesson we often teach our children. If you fall, don’t let it stop you from getting up and trying again. Learn from your mistakes, don’t let them define you. But somehow in the workforce, this lesson is too often lost.
When he handed the floor to the Brisbane players group on day one, we asked them to assess their own behaviours in an exercise any team can replicate. In separate cohorts, players listed the cultural habits they thought were holding them back. At the time, doing extra training or speaking up in meetings resulted in teasing from other players. And naming examples of negative behaviours like these was like holding up a mirror. Once players took ownership, the shift was immediate.
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Within just two days, the tone inside the club had completely changed. Players were celebrated for speaking up in meetings and for their commitment to training. This change didn’t come from the leader, rather from the people doing the work every day.
Many leaders ask people to earn trust, whereas Fagan gives it straight away. While this concept will make many leaders feel uncomfortable, it’s remarkable what happens when people feel trusted without having to prove themselves. They want to repay the generous gesture and take ownership to do so. They feel responsible for improving their workplace, and not just for performing their role.
In 2024, when Brisbane sat 13th on the ladder, external belief was thin. But inside the club, Fagan held steady. He showed players data revealing their performance indicators were trending upwards despite the lack of wins, as they needed to continue to focus on the process.
A similar approach was taken in his first two seasons as coach. The team wasn’t winning a lot of games, so they began tracking quarters won, giving players four opportunities each week to see progress. It reframed the narrative from failure to one of growth.
Demonstrating a team’s potential in this way provides perspective. It reminds people that progress is rarely linear and that momentum often builds long before the scoreboard catches up. The job for leaders is to create an environment where small wins matter, where effort is noticed, and where people understand that there is a journey to arrive at results.
The Lions’ success is not a fairy tale and is not one of talent alone. It’s the product of deliberate behaviours repeated over years, leading without ego, setting direction, and stepping back. It’s about giving trust early, treating mistakes as learnings, and investing deeply in relationships. These are not sporting principles; they are human ones.
Ultimately, Fagan’s leadership shows that humility is not the opposite of ambition; it’s a mechanism for unlocking it in others. When leaders let go of the need to have all the answers, they create space for people to contribute, grow, and drive performance.
Leading without ego didn’t just help win the last two Grand Finals. It built a team capable of sustaining success long before the results appeared. And that is a lesson every leader can take into their next conversation.