The Hugh Jackman “Ego Problem” That Made Him a Better Leader
Most successful people are assholes.
Not Hugh Jackman. Which is his problem.
I figured this out watching how he handled the Ryan Reynolds “feud.” Here’s a guy at the top of his game who keeps letting someone else get the laugh at his expense.
The Strength Metaphor Nobody Talks About
You know what real strength looks like? It’s a guy who doesn’t need every room to revolve around him. Hugh Jackman has headlined Broadway shows and played Wolverine for 17 years, and here’s how he talked about dealing with fans in a 2013 Men’s Health interview: “it’s certainly easier for me to be polite and respectful to people.” Think about that. When you’re secure in who you are, you don’t need to prove anything to the person asking for a selfie. Real strength doesn’t audition for applause.
Most successful people are assholes. Hugh Jackman isn’t. That’s his “problem,” and it’s why he’s more successful than the ego-driven leaders who hoard credit and wonder why their best people leave. Real strength doesn’t audition for applause.Share on X
The Ryan Reynolds “Feud” Lesson
Everyone knows about the Hugh Jackman-Ryan Reynolds “feud.” Funny Twitter exchanges, fake movie posters, that whole thing.
But most people miss that, by Jackman’s own account, he started it.
Not because he’s petty. Because he’s brilliant.
It goes back to 2009 and the set of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, where Reynolds played Wade Wilson. Jackman was the established Wolverine. Reynolds had just married Scarlett Johansson, a close friend of Jackman’s, and Jackman told The Daily Beast in 2020 that he used to “ream him” on set: “you better be on your best behavior here, pal, because I’m watching.”
Jackman could have ignored the new guy. Instead the ribbing became a running bit, and it turned into a public rivalry once Reynolds started campaigning to get Wolverine into Deadpool. Jackman played along for years.
I won’t pretend the feud made Reynolds a star. Deadpool did that in 2016. What the feud did was keep both of them in the conversation, and it set up the team-up fans wanted.
Jackman could have hoarded his spotlight. He chose to share it.
Hugh Jackman says he started ribbing Ryan Reynolds on the Wolverine set in 2009, then let it grow into a years-long joke where he was often the punchline. Most executives fight over a small pie. Jackman makes it bigger. 🎯Share on X
Why Most Leaders Get This Wrong
Picture a CEO taking credit for an intern’s idea in a board meeting. The intern is sitting right there. Says nothing. Just takes notes while his boss explains “his” breakthrough thinking to a dozen other executives.
Six months later, that intern leaves to start his own company. Now he’s a competitor. Guess whose ideas he’s not sharing anymore?
Most executives think leadership means being the smartest person in the room. Or the loudest. Or the one who takes all the credit.
They’re solving the wrong problem. They think the question is “How do I stay on top?” Jackman figured out the right question: “How do I make everyone around me more successful so we all win bigger?”
The Long Game Nobody Talks About
Jackman played a 17-year character arc with Wolverine. Seventeen years. Do you know how many actors would have phoned it in after movie three?
But he kept finding new layers. Kept pushing the character forward. Made Logan into something that mattered. Then he walked away with Logan in 2017. At the peak. He said at the time, “I knew in my heart this was the right time.”
The Deadpool comeback? That wasn’t desperation. That was Jackman choosing his spots, coming back when it served everyone involved, including the fans. Deadpool & Wolverine opened in 2024 and within a month passed Joker as the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever, at more than $1 billion worldwide.
Meanwhile, Reynolds made their fake rivalry a running part of his public persona, and Jackman kept playing along.
Now they’re both massive stars who seem to like each other. Weird how that works.
Hugh Jackman on fans: “it’s certainly easier for me to be polite and respectful to people.” Most executives can’t turn it off. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is choose not to use your power. 💪Share on X
What This Means for Your Business
Nobody wants to admit this: business is personal. People buy from people they trust. They work harder for leaders they respect. They stick around when they feel valued.
Jackman gets this. He builds real relationships instead of just networking. He lifts people up instead of stepping on them. Look at the coffee company. He launched Laughing Man in 2011 with Dukale, an Ethiopian coffee farmer he met as a World Vision ambassador, and World Vision says the company’s profits go back into schooling, community development and new businesses in developing countries. That’s more than nice. It’s smart business.
When you help other people win, they remember. They tell stories about you. They want to work with you again.
The Off-Duty Lesson
Back to the strength thing. Here’s a guy who could walk into any room and own it, and he told Men’s Health he tries “to be myself as much as I can when I’m not acting, for better or worse.”
Most leaders can’t turn it off. They’re “on” at dinner, at their kid’s soccer game, at the grocery store. Everything’s a networking opportunity.
Jackman figured out something most executives never learn: sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is choose not to use your power.
The Part Everyone Misses
Jackman’s approach creates more opportunities.
When you help Reynolds become a bigger star, suddenly there are bigger projects that need two big stars. When you treat your costars well, directors want to work with you again. When you’re known for making everyone around you better, better people want to work with you.
It’s the opposite of zero-sum thinking. While everyone else is fighting over a small pie, Jackman’s busy making the pie bigger.
Most executives are playing checkers. Jackman’s playing 4D chess.
Understanding character development is how you build the kind of professional relationships that matter.
The Bottom Line
Jackman’s “ego problem” is that he’s secure enough to let other people shine without feeling threatened.
That’s not weakness. That’s strategic leadership at its finest.
Most people are terrible at this because they’re scared. Scared someone else will get the credit. Scared they’ll be forgotten. Scared they’re not as good as they pretend to be. Jackman isn’t scared. That’s why he wins. Your move.
Consider how your own approach to business relationships might translate into worth-sharing professional stories. The best leaders understand that documenting real experiences often creates the most unexpected opportunities.
Ready to Write Your Own Story?
Hugh Jackman’s habit of lifting the people around him proves the power of leading through connection. If you’re ready to build your own influence without the ego battles and establish yourself as the definitive leader in your industry, I can help you craft a book that positions you as the force behind meaningful change. Just like Jackman shapes careers and opportunities without demanding credit, you can use honest positioning to redefine your sector and leave a legacy.
Book a free consultation today to see how I can help you create your authoritative book and build your personal brand through the power of strategic positioning.
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Jackman’s ability to build lasting influence through long-term relationships demonstrates the power of strategic generosity in leadership. As I detail in my 465-page book “The Ghostwriting Advantage,” entertainment leaders like Jackman understand that real authority comes from consistent positioning that lifts others up. If you’re ready to lead your industry with the same kind of influence, professional ghostwriting can transform your leadership insights into the kind of book that creates lasting impact and builds meaningful connections.
References and Further Reading
- CTV News: Hugh Jackman Says It’s Easier to Be Nice
- Fox News: Hugh Jackman Says His Feud with Ryan Reynolds Began with Scarlett Johansson
- Fox News: Hugh Jackman: Logan Is My Last Time as Wolverine
- Ada Derana: Deadpool & Wolverine Surpasses Joker as Highest-Grossing R-Rated Movie
- World Vision Australia: Hugh Jackman, Laughing Man and Dukale’s Dream
