The Zero-Sum Game of Leadership By Mark Wager

The Zero-Sum Game of Leadership

By Mark Wager

I’ve seen many leaders in my time and without doubt the number one reason that derails careers is the tendency for self-sabotage, I’ve seen many people who are very talented find ways to waste that talent because they have a poor mindset, in this article I want to share a specific mindset that quietly creeps into leadership— one that can feel logical, even strategic, but over time does more damage than most leaders realise. It’s what I call the zero-sum game of leadership, and if left unchecked, it doesn’t just hurt your team — it limits your own growth too. Let’s talk about it.

What Is a Zero-Sum Game?

First, a quick refresher. A zero-sum game is a situation where one person’s gain is another person’s loss. Think of poker — if I win $100, someone else at the table loses $100. The total doesn’t grow, it just shifts hands. Now that’s fine for card games and sports, but when leaders start applying that same logic to relationships, power, success, or recognition, things go sideways.

In leadership, the zero-sum mindset sounds like this:

• “If I let her take the lead on this, people might think she’s better than me.”
• “If I give them credit, I lose authority.”
• “If they shine, I fade.”

At first glance, these thoughts might not seem dangerous. But over time, they create a culture of control, fear, and insecurity — not performance, not innovation, and certainly not loyalty.

How the Zero-Sum Mindset Shows Up

I’ve seen it in new leaders and experienced executives alike. It doesn’t always come from arrogance — sometimes, it’s fear. Fear of being replaced. Fear of not being needed. Fear of losing control.

It can show up subtly, like a leader who always insists on having the final say, even when their team has better ideas. Or the manager who hoards the most visible projects to ensure they stay “in the spotlight.” Or worse, the leader who downplays others’ contributions because they’re scared of being overshadowed.

You might be reading this and thinking, “I’d never do that.” And I hope you’re right. But I also know how easy it is for these behaviours to slip in unnoticed. Sometimes it’s not what you say — it’s what you don’t say. The praise you withhold. The opportunities you never offer. The credit you quietly accept.

That’s how the zero-sum mindset operates — it whispers, “Protect your share.” And if you listen to it long enough, it becomes your leadership philosophy without you even realising.

Leadership Is Not a Pie

Here’s the truth: Leadership is not a pie. When someone else gets a bigger slice, it doesn’t mean there’s less for you. In fact, the opposite is often true — when others around you grow, your own impact multiplies.

I tell my coaching clients this all the time: the best leaders are not the ones who do everything. They’re the ones who create the conditions where others thrive. They’re not threatened by talent — they’re fuelled by it. They don’t feel smaller when someone else gets praise — they feel proud, because they helped build that success. That’s not weakness. That’s strength.

A zero-sum leader sees the world as competitive — constantly calculating wins and losses, status and power. An abundant leader, by contrast, sees the world as collaborative — believing that value can be created, not just divided. That belief changes everything.

The Cost of Zero-Sum Leadership

Let’s not sugar-coat it. Leaders who play the zero-sum game might win in the short term. They might climb the ladder, secure their position, even get results. But it always comes at a cost — usually the team’s trust, morale, and long-term performance.

Here’s what I’ve seen happen, time and again:

• Good people leave because they feel undervalued or overlooked.
• Innovation stalls because no one wants to take risks if they think they’ll be punished for failing or ignored if they succeed.
• The leader burns out trying to do everything themselves because they don’t trust others to share the load.

It’s a lonely way to lead. And ironically, the more you try to protect your power, the more you lose it.

You don’t inspire loyalty by guarding your position — you earn it by empowering others.

You Win When They Win

Let me tell you something I’ve learned after coaching leaders for over 30 years: your greatest achievements will not be what you do alone — it’ll be what you help others do.

Your legacy isn’t measured in tasks completed or decisions made. It’s measured in people — how they grew because of your leadership. How you helped them believe in themselves when they didn’t. How you gave them chances when others wouldn’t. How you stood back just enough so they could step forward. That’s not a loss. That’s the win.

When someone on your team steps up, it doesn’t mean you’re stepping down. It means you’re leading up — creating a new level of excellence that lifts everyone, including you.

And here’s the secret: when you invest in people, they give it back tenfold. They work harder. They stay longer. They believe in the mission because they know you believe in them.

The Trap of “Playing It Safe”

Now, if you’re someone who tends to keep a tight grip on things — maybe because you’ve been burned before, or maybe because you’ve always been the one people depend on — I get it. Letting go feels risky. Letting others take the spotlight feels uncomfortable. That fear is real.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: playing it safe is not safe. Not in leadership. The longer you hold everything close, the more fragile your leadership becomes. Because you’re not building a team — you’re building dependence. And one day, you’ll burn out or move on or get stuck… and there won’t be anyone ready to take over.

True strength as a leader comes from knowing your success is not fragile. It’s resilient because it’s shared.

From Scarcity to Abundance

If any of this is landing with you — if you’re realising you’ve maybe been playing a few zero-sum games of your own — there’s good news: you can change the game.

Start with your mindset. Begin to look at leadership not as a series of win/lose scenarios, but as a platform for win/win growth.

Here are a few shifts that can help:

• Stop hoarding credit. Give it away freely. The more credit you give, the more people want to work with you.
• Let others lead. Not just assist — lead. Let them own projects, make decisions, make mistakes.
• Celebrate others publicly. Especially the ones who challenge you. That takes real strength.
• Be generous with your knowledge. Don’t protect your expertise — share it. Teach what you know.
• Ask yourself regularly: “Am I creating value or just preserving status?”

Leadership is not about being the smartest, the most capable, or the most visible. It’s about unlocking that in others. That’s how cultures grow. That’s how movements start. That’s how teams win.

Your Leadership Legacy

One day, whether you’re leading a team of five or five thousand, you’ll step away. Someone else will sit in your seat. And what will you leave behind?

Will it be a team that’s lost without you? Or one that’s thriving because of you? That’s your choice.

The zero-sum game of leadership is a myth. It’s a trap that tells you you must compete, hoard, and protect. But leadership isn’t poker. It’s not chess. It’s not even about winning. It’s about building something bigger than yourself — something that lasts.

And when you stop seeing success as something to guard and start seeing it as something to grow, that’s when you become a leader worth following.

That’s when you win.