Brown introduces two foundational leadership lessons from former professional soccer player Abby Wambach’s book Wolfpack, drawing on Wambach’s experiences as a decorated soccer champion and activist. Both lessons challenge conventional notions of leadership by emphasizing that true leadership requires humility, interconnection, and commitment to collective success rather than individual achievement.

The first lesson concerns leading from the bench. Wambach recounts accepting a reserve role during the 2015 Women’s World Cup—the final tournament of her career—despite being one of the most prolific scorers in international soccer history. Rather than viewing this benching as diminishment, Wambach reframed it as an opportunity to lead differently. By celebrating her teammates, providing encouragement, and remaining mentally engaged throughout the tournament, she discovered that leadership extends beyond formal positions or starting roles. Brown emphasizes that individuals will inevitably experience moments of being “benched”—passed over for promotion, falling ill, losing elections, or feeling displaced in relationships. The critical distinction, Wambach argues, is that disappointment about these situations is natural, but surrendering one’s leadership capacity is not acceptable. Brown contextualizes this idea within a broader redefinition of leadership: It is not a title conferred by institutions but an inherent power that all individuals possess and can exercise in everyday acts such as volunteering, offering encouragement, caring for oneself and others, or seeking therapy. She notes that this framing is particularly relevant in contemporary conversations about distributed leadership and redefines professional advancement away from hierarchical models.

Wambach’s second lesson addresses championing one another. She illustrates that while individual goals are celebrated visibly, they represent collective effort—perfect passes, precise positioning, and sustained support from all team members. When Wambach scored goals during her international career, she made a practice of pointing toward teammates who contributed, recognizing that no achievement is truly individual. Off the field, this translates into amplifying women’s voices, demanding representation at decision-making tables, celebrating each other’s successes, and supporting one another through setbacks. Brown and Wambach identify a significant cultural obstacle: the scarcity mindset that pits women against one another for limited opportunities. Both argue that this sense of scarcity is not inherent but has been constructed by systems of power to maintain competition rather than coalition. This analysis reflects contemporary feminist discourse about solidarity and collective advancement, particularly relevant in discussions of workplace equity and intersectional feminism.

Chapter Lessons

• True leadership manifests through how one behaves when not in a prominent role—by offering encouragement, providing support, and remaining engaged even when not directly in charge.
• Recognize that individual success depends on collective effort.
• Reject artificial scarcity and build coalition instead of competing for singular opportunities.
• Claim leadership as an inherent power, not a privilege to be granted.

Reflection Questions

• Consider moments when you have been “benched” or displaced from a position you valued. How did you respond? Looking back, where did you find (or could you have found) meaningful ways to lead or contribute despite being in a less visible role?
• In your professional and personal circles, do you find yourself rushing toward others’ successes, or do you sometimes hold back due to competition or scarcity thinking? What specific actions could you take to amplify and champion others’ achievements more consistently?