There Are Leaders… And There Are People With Titles
There was a time early in my career when I thought titles meant everything.
You walk into a corporate building, the glass doors open automatically, security greets the man in the suit differently, assistants stand up a little straighter when “Datuk” walks past. The name card is thicker. The office is bigger. The chair is higher.
And for a moment, you think — this must be leadership.
But over the years, consulting across GLCs and SMEs, sitting in strategy rooms, speaking on stages, training teams from operators to directors, having quiet kopi conversations with workers on the ground — I began to see something else.
There are leaders.
And there are people with titles.
They are not the same.
I remember one particular boardroom session. The chairman walked in late. No greeting. No eye contact. The atmosphere tightened instantly. People spoke carefully. They measured their words. Nobody challenged anything. The meeting ended quickly. Decisions were made — but no ownership was taken.
Outside the room, in the corridor, the real conversations began. That’s when I knew.
Authority had entered the room.
Leadership had not.
Then I remember another moment in a small SME factory. No marble floors. No executive parking. Just a production floor buzzing with activity. The owner stood among his workers, sleeves rolled up, listening more than speaking. When a problem surfaced, people didn’t hide it. They walked straight to him.
There was no fear in that space.
Only responsibility.
That man had no grand title. But he had something stronger — trust.
Over the years, I’ve noticed this pattern repeating itself. Big organisation or small. Government-linked or family-owned. The structure changes. The logos change. The politics changes. But the core difference remains the same.
Ego or empathy.
Ego is subtle. It doesn’t announce itself loudly. It hides behind confidence. It disguises itself as authority. It whispers, “I am the boss. I know better. I deserve respect.”
Empathy doesn’t whisper. It listens.
Ego demands respect because of position.
Empathy earns respect because of character.
I’ve seen leaders who could silence a room with one sentence. And I’ve seen leaders who could inspire a room with one sentence.
The difference? One used power. The other used presence.
The truth is, people don’t follow titles. They follow energy. They follow consistency. They follow someone who makes them feel safe to speak, safe to fail, safe to improve.
In my talks and trainings, I often ask a simple question without announcing it directly. I observe instead.
When the boss walks in, does the room stiffen… or does it lighten?
When mistakes happen, do people hide… or do they seek guidance?
When the leader is absent, does the system collapse… or continue to perform?
Those silent indicators reveal more than any KPI dashboard ever will.
The higher the ego, the weaker the foundation. Because ego builds dependency. It creates a culture where people wait for approval, wait for direction, wait for protection.
But empathy builds capability. It creates leaders within leaders. It builds resilience that outlasts one individual.
And this applies everywhere. In GLCs managing billion-ringgit portfolios. In SMEs fighting month-to-month cash flow. In startups trying to survive. In established corporations trying to stay relevant.
Scale does not determine leadership.
Soul does.
You can sit on ten boards. You can have letters before and after your name. You can command attention with your designation.
But if your team breathes easier when you leave the room, then something is broken.
True leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room. It is about elevating the room.
It is not about control. It is about clarity.
It is not about being feared. It is about being trusted.
Over time, I’ve realised that ego may win short-term battles. It may push results through pressure. It may create compliance.
But empathy wins long-term wars. It builds loyalty. It builds sustainability. It builds culture.
And culture is what remains when the title changes.
Because one day, the office will belong to someone else. The chair will have another name on it. The security guard will greet another “Datuk.” The name card will be replaced.
But how you made people feel — that will remain.
There are leaders.
And there are people with titles.
One earns respect quietly, consistently, over time.
The other demands it loudly, repeatedly, every day.
The game is always the same.
Ego.
Or empathy.
And every organisation, every boardroom, every factory floor, every team meeting
is simply a reflection of which one is winning.
— Amarjeet Singh @ AJ
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