How Leaders’ Beliefs Shape Entire Organizations

Most people have heard the term glass ceiling. First introduced by Marilyn Loden in 1978, it described the invisible barrier women faced when trying to advance into top positions. Since then, the “ceiling” metaphor has expanded—to the bamboo ceiling for East Asian Americans, the canvas ceiling for refugees, and more.

Leadership expert John Maxwell applies a similar concept in his Law of the Lid. The law states that a leader’s effectiveness places a ceiling on their organization’s potential. No matter how talented the team or how brilliant the strategy, an organization will only rise to the level of its leader. That’s why leaders at every level—especially those at the top—have a responsibility to keep raising their own lid.

But here’s the part that doesn’t get enough attention: it’s not just about skills. Leaders’ beliefs also act as lids.

The Hidden Ceiling of Self-Belief

Picture a Fortune 500 CEO. The perks are glamorous, but the pressures are relentless. Now imagine that same CEO quietly struggles with imposter syndrome. You might wonder: Does that really happen at that level? The answer is yes—and it’s dangerous.

Why? Because teams almost always mirror their leaders. Just as your leadership skills set a ceiling on performance, your beliefs about yourself set a ceiling on your team’s confidence, mindset, and culture.

• If you doubt your worthiness, your team will sense it.

• If you hold back out of fear, your team will hold back too.

• If you believe success isn’t possible, your organization will adopt the same limits.

Your confidence—or lack of it—becomes contagious.

Executive Presence Is Not Enough

Some leaders try to compensate by projecting executive presence: looking the part, sounding confident, keeping composure. Those things matter—but they’re surface-level. People can tell when presence is real and when it’s an act. You can’t fake belief forever.

At some point, you have to do the deeper work:

• Confront self-doubt.

• Identify limiting beliefs.

• Replace them with empowering ones.

The best leaders don’t hide their brokenness; they grow through it. That growth creates the authentic presence others trust.

Raising the Lid on Culture

Here’s the bottom line: your mindset becomes your organization’s culture. The limits you set for yourself are the limits your team will adopt. If you want your team to believe bigger, you have to believe bigger first.

Leadership is never just about what you do—it’s about who you are. When you lift the ceiling on your own confidence and belief, you lift it for everyone who follows you.