[Interview] From Proving to Improving, Creating a Culture of Curiosity, and the Weight of the Cape | Monique Davidson

You've probably heard the advice: back yourself, have confidence, don't let self-doubt hold you back. But what happens when confidence tips into needing to prove something? And what happens when you're the one everyone comes to for the answer, every single time?

In this conversation, Monique Davidson traces her own shift from proving herself to improving herself, and what that's changed about how she leads. She talks about building a culture of curiosity, asking better questions instead of jumping in with answers, and about a metaphor she keeps returning to: the cape that leaders wear without realising it, and the weight of carrying it for too long.

Monique Davidson became one of New Zealand's youngest local government chief executives at 29. Nearly a decade on, she's leading Horowhenua District Council and serving as Vice President of Taituarā, Local Government Professionals Aotearoa. She's known for a candid, reflective style of leadership grounded in service rather than ego.

We get into:

• The shift from proving yourself to improving yourself, and why it changes everything
• How to build a culture of curiosity instead of always being the one with the answers
• Why leaders wear a cape without realising it, and the weight of carrying it for too long
• The cost of holding on to a hero identity, even when things are going well
• How to build a healthier relationship with your own ego
• The distinction between an ally and a confidant, and why every leader needs both

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:29) What got you to the top

(03:34) From proving to improving

(05:42) Your relationship with your ego

(10:46) Taking the cape off

(14:31) The cost of wearing the cape too long

(21:35) Imagine your actions written in the sky

(28:59) Balancing delivery and discovery

(30:08) Creating a culture of curiosity

(38:03) What she'd tell a 29-year-old

(41:19) Ally versus confidant

(43:59) The kitchen floor

(46:49) What she's learned from this conversation

You can find Monique on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquedavidson/

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