Guest Speaker: Dain Dunston

I once worked with a leader whose title gave them authority, but not influence.

The team respected the position, but they didn’t feel inspired to give their best.

On the other hand, I’ve seen people with no formal title step up, unite a group, and spark real change.

That’s the difference between holding a role and being essential.

Research shows the gap: 95% of people think they’re self-aware, but only 10–15% truly are (Harvard Business Review). And when leaders do become self-aware, Korn Ferry found that team performance can rise by 20–25%.

It’s proof that leadership isn’t about the label you carry.

It’s about presence. Purpose. And the ability to bring out the best in others.

That’s what it means to Lead Beyond Titles.

✨ In this conversation, Dain Dunston, author of Self-Aware Leader: Being Essential will share how to step into that kind of leadership.

Dain Dunston is Executive Coach and Author

#leadership #selfawareness #growth #essentialleadership #futureofwork