Leadership expert, executive coach, and bestselling author Dr. Sam Adeyemi is challenging conventional thinking about leadership with his Four "Nots" of Leadership, four principles that confront some of the most common assumptions about what it means to lead. The framework arrives as organizations and individuals increasingly question whether traditional markers of leadership—titles, follower counts, and personal success—actually produce meaningful influence and sustainable results.
Adeyemi, author of SHIFTS: 6 Steps to Transform Your Mindset and Elevate Your Leadership (Wiley), with a combined 3.8 million social media followers, argues that leadership is not defined by a title. "Leadership is not about occupying a position in the C-Suite, government, or some other high position in society," says Adeyemi. "It is the ability to influence people to achieve a goal. All of us have some influence, and all of us can learn, develop, and strengthen our ability to influence others." This reframing matters because it democratizes leadership development, suggesting that influence is a skill rather than a station, and that organizations can cultivate leaders at every level rather than relying solely on formal authority.
The second "Not" asserts that leadership is not about creating followers. "Raise leaders. Develop people. Create influence that extends far beyond your reach," Adeyemi says. "If those who follow you and serve under you never grow, never lead, and never develop others, then leadership has stopped with you." The implication is that leaders should be measured by the leaders they produce, not the followers they accumulate—a shift that could transform talent development, succession planning, and how executives evaluate their own legacies.
Third, Adeyemi challenges the idea that success is the destination. "It's time to rethink your definition of success, not as a destination per se, but as a stepping stone for significance, which I define as making a meaningful impact on people and society," he says. "Because success matters, but people matter more." This perspective pushes leaders to consider impact beyond quarterly results, potentially reorienting corporate purpose toward long-term social and human value.
Finally, Adeyemi argues that leadership is not about oneself. "If you want to become a leader of true influence, stop making leadership about yourself and focus on the value you can provide to others," he says. "Keep your message simple, communicate it consistently, and remember that people will follow your words when your actions back them up and your message ultimately connects to their lives and aspirations." This emphasis on service and authenticity has implications for how leaders build trust and engagement in an era of heightened scrutiny and demand for transparency.
Adeyemi's credentials lend weight to these ideas. He is CEO of Sam Adeyemi, GLC, Inc. and founder and executive director of Daystar Leadership Academy (DLA), which has graduated more than 52,000 alumni. He is also the author of Dear Leader: Your Flagship Guide to Successful Leadership. His new book, SHIFTS: 6 Steps to Transform Your Mindset and Elevate Your Leadership (Wiley), is now available. He holds a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University and is a member of the International Leadership Association.
For organizations and individuals grappling with leadership development, Adeyemi's Four "Nots" offer a provocative framework: influence over title, multiplication over accumulation, significance over success, and others over self. The principles challenge leaders to reconsider what they prioritize and how they measure their impact, with potential ripple effects across corporate culture, education, and public service.
