The Life of a Showboater

Taylor Swift might’ve written “Life of a Showgirl”, but have you ever managed the (work)life of a showboater? 

You know the type.
Brilliant. Driven. Often right.
But when they are right? Everyone knows it. Immediately.

(Sigh)

They can’t help it — the validation reflex fires faster than their self-awareness.

It’s especially hard to manage a showboater through a team failure they feel they could have’t prevented had you only listened to them.

What could’ve been a great “learning moment” for the team… turns into a solo performance of ego, blame and vindication from the showboater.

The “I told you so.”
The “If only we’d done it my way.”
The humblebrag disguised as “just a reflection.”

Here’s the hard truth: they’re not wrong.

But they’re confusing being RIGHT with being VALUABLE.
They don’t realize that being right isn’t what earns influence and the right to be listened to — trust is.

As a leader, your job isn’t to silence them or dim their light.
It’s to coach them into awareness and direct their potential toward better.

Leadership Shift: From Showboating to Stewardship

So how does the show go on? How do you manage a showboater?

1️⃣ Challenge their behavior, not their brilliance.
Start with acknowledgment: “You saw that coming.”
Then redirect: “And how do we make sure next time the team feels supported, not scolded?”
You’re validating their foresight while redirecting their focus from ego to impact.

2️⃣ Reframe their standard of success.
Help them see that leadership wins aren’t measured in being right, but in helping others get it right.
When they learn that influence outlasts vindication, their energy starts to shift from performance to partnership.

3️⃣ Model quiet confidence.
If you, as a leader, celebrate “rightness” too loudly, they’ll mirror it.
So practice the quiet power you want to see. Grace under ego. Presence over performance.

Real influence doesn’t perform or overpower. It compounds.

Quietly. Consistently. Over time.

To better,

Jess