You Don’t Have To Be The Star, Baby

The number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977 (please excuse the ancient reference) was a song by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. with the lyric:

“You don’t have to be a star, baby, to be in my show.”

Okay, old man… what’s your point? (Although tell me those of you close to my age didn’t immediately start singing that song in your head, LOL)

Last week, an article in Harvard Business Review titled “The Best Leaders Embrace the Role of Supporting Character” explored the idea that great leaders don’t always need to be the star of the show. Instead, they become the biggest supporter, encourager and amplifier of the people around them.

That idea has some powerful implications for both leadership and sales.

The article points out that “supporting character” leaders focus less on personal spotlight and more on creating conditions where others can thrive. They listen deeply. They remove obstacles. They celebrate wins that aren’t their own. They create psychological safety. They make people feel seen, valued and capable.

Leaders interested in adopting supporting-character energy can take two important steps:

1. Get aggressively curious - Supporting characters can’t tell their stories alone. If you want to become one, you must instead understand what life looks and feels like for the protagonist you want to help. This means getting intensely curious about others and learning to be aware of what you don’t know.

2. Engage in “job crafting.” Helping team members tell a clear story that connected their jobs to what they valued most. Evidence now finds that job crafting helps people thrive psychologically and produce more.

In other words, they stop asking:

“How do I look?”

And start asking:

“How can I help you shine?”

That shift changes culture.

Teams led this way tend to collaborate more, innovate more and trust each other more. People become less afraid of failure because they know the leader isn’t looking for credit; they’re looking for progress. The result is often higher engagement, stronger morale and better long-term performance.

Now let’s move this out of the leadership world and into sales because I think this mindset might be one of the missing ingredients in modern client relationships. I’ve called it Servant Selling, but this adds an interesting dimension.

Too many sellers still believe they need to be the smartest person in the room. The best presenter. The most impressive strategist. The one with all the answers.

But clients aren’t actually looking for a star.

They’re looking for someone who helps THEM become the star.

Think about your best client relationships. Odds are the client leaves conversations feeling smarter, more confident and more capable—not because you dominated the room, but because you elevated them in it.

Supporting-character sellers ask better questions than they give speeches.

They make support staff feel important instead of invisible.

They treat assistants, coordinators, traffic managers and front desk employees with the same respect they give decision-makers.

They understand something many sellers miss:

People support people who support them.

That’s not manipulation. That’s human nature.

One of the greatest competitive advantages in sales today is becoming the easiest person to work with. Not the flashiest. Not the loudest. Not the most self-promotional.

The most supportive.

Clients are under pressure. Teams are stretched thin. Internal politics are real. Many decision-makers feel overwhelmed and underappreciated. Sellers who can reduce stress, bring clarity and make clients feel successful instantly separate themselves from the pack.

And here’s the interesting twist: when you stop trying to be the star, your value often becomes more obvious.

Because trust grows.

Defensiveness drops.

Collaboration increases.

And relationships deepen.

Ironically, the sellers who chase attention often lose influence, while the sellers who focus on helping others win become indispensable.

This also applies internally.

The best account executives often have incredible relationships with creative teams, production departments, traffic managers and business offices because they recognize that sales is a team sport. Supporting the people around you creates reciprocity, goodwill and smoother execution for clients.

Nobody likes the seller who acts like every successful campaign happened because of them alone.

But everybody loves the seller who shares credit, values contributions and makes the entire team better.

Maybe Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. were onto something back in 1977.

Sing it with me, You don’t have to be a star, baby.

Not in leadership.

Not in sales.

Not in business.

Sometimes the most powerful person in the room is the one helping everyone else shine.

Think Big, Make Big Things Happen!

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com. You can also connect with him on X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.