There is a pervasive, comforting myth in corporate leadership that confidence is a linear graph; the theory goes that as the years stack up and the titles grow weightier, the inner voice of doubt quietly packs its bags and leaves.
Essentially, you are supposed to arrive at the top of the mountain completely resolved, fully equipped, and entirely unbothered by nerves.
Heather Edwards is here to tell you that’s not accurate, in her experience.
As the CEO of Harcourts South Australia, she recently took on the dual responsibility of serving as the interim CEO for Harcourts Western Australia following a leadership transition.
On paper, it is a massive, high stakes jurisdiction to command and in reality, it required her to step into unfamiliar territory overnight, navigating new markets, fresh faces, and the logistics of managing two massive regions separated by a three hour time difference.
It is a massive expansion of responsibility, but instead of meeting the challenge with absolute, unshakeable certainty, Heather embraces a more grounded reality.
“Looking back, I don’t think I’ve ever been completely ready for any role I’ve accepted,” Heather says. “I’m always nervous, but I’ve learned not to mistake nerves for a lack of ability.”
In an industry like real estate, which often celebrates bravado, Heather’s philosophy is a a different approach – she views a lack of total readiness not as a deficiency, but as a prerequisite for great leadership.
The danger of absolute certainty
For Heather, a leader who claims to have all the answers is a red flag.
“I’ve actually become quite cautious of leaders who display absolute certainty,” she says.
“When you lead with total certainty, you become narrow minded and you close yourself off to the people around you and the opinions of others.
“Complacency creeps in, and once a leader finds things too easy, the care factor often goes out the window.”
Stepping into the dual SA/WA role meant managing a sudden transition with just a couple of months’ notice and rather than flying into WA to dictate terms, Heather leaned entirely into curiosity.
Her first move upon taking the reins? Asking the team on the ground a single, empowering question: “If you were in my position, what is the first thing you would do to make a change?”
To naively go into a position and feel like you know everything is entirely the wrong mindset, she says.
“I didn’t step into WA with the intention of knowing all the answers. I’m there to learn as much as they are, to understand the lay of the land, and to figure out how I can best support them.
“Confidence isn’t about knowing everything; it’s about being ready for the challenge and being confident in your ability to build genuine connections.”
The weight of the chair
Real estate leadership is uniquely heavy and the decisions made by a network CEO don’t just alter corporate spreadsheets; they ripple directly into the commission checks, businesses, marriages, and household stress levels of hundreds of independent agency owners and property professionals.
Heather doesn’t believe in shrugging off that pressure.
“Your decisions affect careers, families, and businesses. Why wouldn’t you feel the weight of that?” she asks. “Feeling that gravity is a sign that you care about what you’re stepping into.”
Managing that weight while raising two children, aged 10 and 13, requires a masterful approach to boundaries, and a deep commitment to transparency. In an industry notorious for its grueling always on grind, Heather rejects the idea that a leader must pretend to be a flawless corporate robot.
“I’ve got incredible team members and business owners, and the time difference between SA and WA can complicate things. I might get a phone call while I’m in the middle of cooking dinner. I have no problem sending a message saying, ‘Hey, I’m just sorting out dinner for the family. Is everything okay?’ Nine times out of ten, it can wait. My kids might be in the background when I answer the phone, and that’s perfectly okay.”
Heather has traded the elusive chase for 100% perfection for a grounded reality.
“You can never give 100% to everything simultaneously. I’d rather give 70% or 80% to both work and family than give 100% to work and let my family get 50%.
“The key is accountability: I do what I say I’m going to do. When you commit and deliver, molding your professional and personal lives together becomes entirely manageable.”
Culture, churn, and positive vibes
The real estate industry faces an ongoing battle with burnout and retention. In a sector where people frequently exit due to toxic pressure or fractured cultures, Heather believes leaders bear a direct psychological responsibility for their people.
“As leaders, we have the distinct ability to make someone’s day or entirely ruin it,” she says.
“We dictate whether someone looks forward to coming to work on Monday morning or dreads it entirely. I don’t take that lightly.”
To combat the inherent anxiety of the property game, Heather intentionally hires to her blind spots, surrounding herself with team members who challenge her rather than act as echoes; but above all, she injects a deliberate, unyielding optimism into the workplace ecosystem.
“I have a team member who stresses over everything, bless her,” Heather smiles. “She always asks me, ‘How does this stuff not bother you?’ And I tell her, ‘Because it’s just part of the ride.’ If there is one primary value I bring to the table every single day, it’s positive vibes. I am huge on that.
“Your behaviour can either lift a colleague up or cripple them with anxiety.”
By openly sharing her own mistakes and encouraging her team to make their own, she has cultivated an environment where vulnerability is viewed as a strength.
For professionals currently climbing the ranks and waiting for the butterflies in their stomach to completely disappear before stepping into a leadership role, Heather offers a grounding reality check.
“Confidence doesn’t arrive before the challenge. It tends to grow quietly afterward,” she says.
“You make a decision, you learn something, you make a mistake, and you move forward. Focus on getting just a little bit better every day.”
When doubt creeps in, Heather advises leaders to decouple emotional panic from logical evidence by asking a simple, clarifying question: What is the absolute worst thing that can happen?
“You take the leap, and maybe you find out you aren’t suited for the role yet. But at least you know. I would much rather try and discover where my limits are than spend the rest of my career looking back and wondering, ‘What if?’“