For decades, leadership has been defined by external markers like titles, strategies, and performance reviews. But according to Reem Borrows, leadership strategist, executive coach, and co-founder of Dreem Coaching and Consulting, the leaders of tomorrow won’t be the ones who climb fastest up the ladder. They’ll be the ones who go deepest within themselves.
At a time when burnout is endemic and disengagement costs billions, Reem offers a countercultural truth: Leadership begins not with control but with connection. “Leaders must stop performing and start aligning,” she says. “True influence starts when leaders know who they are, what they stand for, and how they want to lead.”
We Don’t Need More Information, We Need More Integration
Scroll through LinkedIn for five minutes, and you’ll find no shortage of leadership frameworks, productivity hacks, or training programs. But as Reem points out, “We’re drowning in tools and starving for transformation.” The problem is integration, not access to information.
At Dreem, transformation begins when leaders stop collecting knowledge and start living it. This is the difference between knowing the principles of emotional intelligence and actually applying them when tensions rise in a team meeting. It’s the space where coaching becomes real, rhythm creates consistency, and accountability becomes a daily practice. “Learning has to move from the head to the heart to the habit,” Reem explains. “That’s where leadership evolution begins.”
Heart-Centred Leadership Is the New Competitive Advantage
For too long, human-centric leadership has been dismissed as soft and not as something that’s necessary. Reem Borrows disagrees with that. “Heart-centred leadership is not a feel-good philosophy; it’s a commercial strategy,” she says. In today’s economy, trust is currency. Teams perform best when they feel psychologically safe. Innovation flourishes in environments of empathy, not fear.
Reem’s approach—rooted in authenticity, emotional literacy, and courageous conversations—proves that empathy and performance are not in opposition. They are interdependent. “When leaders show up with presence and integrity, people don’t just follow along, they engage, contribute, and thrive.”
Ego: The Silent Saboteur of Culture and Growth
Many leaders equate ego with confidence. But, Reem warns that an unchecked ego is one of the greatest liabilities in leadership today. It masks insecurity, stifles feedback, and repels collaboration. “It’s easy to spot ego in others,” she says, “but the real work is identifying where it’s hiding in you.” The most powerful leaders are those who are willing to tell themselves the truth.
This inner work is about self-awareness. When leaders distinguish between ego and purpose, they create cultures rooted in curiosity rather than defensiveness, growth rather than perfection. And that’s where the real breakthroughs happen.
You Can Have It All—Just Not All at Once
In a culture obsessed with speed and success, Reem offers a more sustainable model: vision, clarity, rhythm, and flow. She doesn’t promise instant results. Instead, she guides leaders to understand where they are, where they want to go, and how to bridge the gap without burning out.
“Sustainable success isn’t a sprint,” she says. “It’s a sequence of intentional steps.” This is where the Dreem philosophy of Health, Head, and Heart comes to life—balancing wellbeing, strategic execution, and values-driven leadership. It’s not about doing more—it’s about doing what matters, in the right order, at the right time.
Culture Needs Rhythm, Not Chaos
Organisational culture doesn’t thrive on adrenaline. It thrives on rhythm. Reem emphasises the power of operating rhythms, which she defines as intentional structures that support clarity, accountability, and follow-through. In her view, teams need more alignment instead of more urgency.
By creating rhythms that support both performance and people, leaders shift their cultures from reactive firefighting to focused execution. This is how teams move from chaos to cohesion and from pressure to progress.
People First, Always, But Not People Pleasing
There’s a critical distinction between people-first leadership and people-pleasing. The former requires honesty. The latter avoids discomfort. Reem challenges leaders to have the conversations that matter, even when they’re uncomfortable.
“Respect doesn’t come from saying yes, it comes from saying what’s true,” she says. Effective leaders build trust by balancing care with challenge, compassion with accountability. It’s in this space—where empathy meets candour—that cultures of real growth are born.
Theory of Change: A System for Conscious Leadership
Reem is both strategic and intuitive. As such, one of the most powerful tools she and her team use at Dreem is the Theory of Change framework, a structured method for linking long-term goals with day-to-day actions. It’s a roadmap for leaders who want their influence to translate into meaningful, measurable impact.
“Leadership isn’t just about inspiration,” Reem explains. “It’s about building systems that align with your vision.” With Theory of Change, leaders design futures rather than just leading. They define what needs to shift, why it matters, and how to get there with discipline and grace.
The Future Belongs to Conscious Leaders
Reem Borrows’s work is focused on one main objective: humanising leadership. Authenticity and clarity are critical elements and her inside-out approach offers something rare: a path to power that’s rooted in purpose. “The future of leadership won’t be built by authority alone,” she says. “It will be built by leaders who are willing to do the internal work first so they can lead others with vision, integrity, and heart.”
That future is already here. The question is: Will today’s leaders evolve to meet it?
To learn more about Reem Borrows and her work at Dreem Coaching and Consulting, visit dreem.com.au or connect with her on LinkedIn.
