“Leadership Is Not Control – It’s Empowering Others to Lead Themselves”
The first time Thai truly understood leadership was not from a classroom or seminar, but from real life. Early in his corporate career, he worked at a recruitment agency where he managed talent for large ASX-listed companies such as Telstra, Exxon Mobil and Computershare. His manager at that time was Katrina – a confident, larger-than-life Samoan woman in her 50’s. At that time, Thai believed leadership meant hierarchy: Someone above you giving orders. But Katrina changed his view completely.
Instead of telling him what to do, she asked questions that made him think of possible solutions. She wouldn’t give him a straight-forward answer. At first, it felt uncomfortable, but over time he realised what she was doing – helping him find his own answers. What stood out most was her trust. She allowed him to explore his own ideas, supported him when needed and gave him space to grow.
That belief has roots in Thai’s early life. Growing up in an Asian household, he was often compared to others – cousins who achieved more or classmates who did better. His parents meant well, but it made him question his own worth. Over time, he realised that comparison does not inspire growth but encouragement does. That lesson stayed with him and became one of his strongest leadership values: never lead through fear or comparison, but through empathy, trust and empowerment.
A few years later, Thai experienced another defining leadership moment. While working in human resources, he began coaching friends on how to get corporate jobs. At first, he shared practical advice – how to write strong resumes and prepare for interviews. But soon, he saw a deeper pattern. Many people were not limited by skill, but by mindset. They didn’t believe they were capable or worthy.
That discovery changed the way Thai coached. He started helping people break self-doubt, understand their value and see the potential they already had. As a result, they didn’t just get jobs – they got dream roles, often with higher salaries and greater confidence. That was the moment he realised leadership is not about giving answers or fixing people – it’s about unlocking what’s already inside them.
That experience shaped how Thai defines leadership today and led him to leave the corporate world and become a career coach. Then built a coaching company, from there started a second business in business consulting and recently became a leader for local community groups.
To him, leadership is not about control – it’s about creating a safe space for others to lead themselves. It’s about guiding through questions, not commands. It means helping people gain confidence in their ideas, learn from outcomes, and know that support is always there. True leadership, he believes, is empowering others to become leaders in their own right.
This philosophy became the foundation of You Want Group, the consulting firm Thai co-founded with his partner to transform the way organisations grow. Under his leadership, the company has evolved into a leading provider of Business Consulting and People & Culture solutions, partnering with businesses to align their strategy, structure, and leadership with performance outcomes.
What sets You Want Group apart is its ability to blend strategic insight with human understanding. The team doesn’t just deliver advice. They design and implement transformation. From redefining organisational structure and leadership capability to developing culture frameworks and workforce systems, their work enables clients to build stronger, more resilient businesses.
You Want Group’s approach is both data-driven and people-led. By embedding clarity, accountability, and purpose into every level of an organisation, they help business owners and executives move beyond short-term fixes and create sustainable growth, high-performing cultures, and measurable commercial impact.
For Thai, that is the true heart of leadership: creating confidence, building capability and helping people grow. Today, through You Want Group, he continues to help organisations unlock potential within their teams. Because when people grow, businesses grow. And when you invest in people, you don’t just build better teams – you build better leaders.
