When leaders step up to more senior roles, there’s a subtle but important shift that doesn’t always make it into the job description. It’s not just about leading a team – it’s about learning to wear different hats.
At one level, you’re the head of a department. You advocate for your people, share their expertise, and ensure their voice is heard. But at the same time, you’re part of a senior leadership team making decisions for the whole organisation. That means your first allegiance shifts. As Patrick Lencioni describes in his work on The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, your first team becomes your peers on the senior leadership team, and your second team is the department you lead.
That might sound disloyal – but it’s actually what allows organisations to thrive.
Wearing the right hat at the right time
Balancing these two perspectives can feel counter-intuitive. Most of us want to protect our teams, fight for their priorities and make their work easier. But sometimes the best decision for the organisation as a whole isn’t the best one for your department.
Great leaders know when and where to express disagreement. They use the senior leadership space to challenge, question and advocate for their team’s perspective. But once a collective decision is made, they leave the room united – taking that decision back to their department with clarity and confidence. That consistency builds trust and stability, even when the outcome isn’t perfect for everyone.
This ability to switch hats relies on trust, empathy and strong relationships with peers. Building those relationships takes time and in busy work environments, time to think and connect can feel like a luxury. But in a complex, fast-changing world, taking that time has never been more important. Figuring out how to work well together, across silos and specialisms, is what enables organisations to adapt and make good decisions.
Helping others to switch hats
For senior leaders, this mindset shift is part of the role – but everyone benefits from seeing how their work connects to the bigger picture. Helping people understand the wider context not only improves decision-making and ownership now, it also prepares them for future leadership roles where they’ll need to wear multiple hats.
That’s why it helps to name the idea. Talk about it with your team. Be transparent about what it means to hold both perspectives – to care deeply about your team’s success and also about the organisation’s direction. Create shared language and rituals that make it visible.
And model it. When people see their leader weighing trade-offs, challenging assumptions, and being open about why decisions are made, they learn how to do the same.
Leading with clarity and connection
Leadership today is rarely straightforward. It demands holding multiple perspectives, managing competing priorities, and leading through uncertainty. The ability to change hats – to move between the tactical and the strategic, the individual and the collective – is what helps leaders stay grounded and effective when things are complex.
🎧 Dive deeper: Listen to the full conversation on the Quiet Leadership Revolution podcast – Leadership means changing hats: are your team ready?