• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers

3

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers

3

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

The One Quality Most People Want From A Leader

By
Andy Lark
Andy Lark
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Andy Lark
Andy Lark
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 13, 2016, 8:00 PM ET
Leader
Photograph via Getty Images

The Entrepreneur Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in America’s startup scene contribute answers to timely questions about entrepreneurship and careers. Today’s answer to the question,” What leadership style should every entrepreneur try to adopt?” is written by Andy Lark, chief marketing officer of Xero.

Understanding what leadership style works for your personality and being consistent is what every entrepreneur needs to do to drive an organization forward.

The key isn’t what you choose to do – it is what you choose to do consistently. The only way to understand what leadership style works with your team is to ask for real-time feedback. Ask your team after your next one-on-one how they experienced it – did they get value from the conversation? Do they feel you heard their challenges and concerns? Seek feedback and journal actions. Distill those into no more than three clear leadership actions you plan to consistently implement across everything you do. These should be the most significant skills or actions you plan to nurture.

Around these three actions will be other smaller actions you need to work on. Leaders are human. They mess up. The more human they are, the more they mess up. Some argue that if you aren’t messing up, you aren’t pushing hard enough. But messing up means cleaning up.

Central to making progress is establishing clear metrics that function not only as a finish line, but also a constant reminder of what you need to do. So, if you plan to develop quality, high-performance relationships with your direct reports, you might set a goal of consistent one-on-ones that result in constructive conversations and clarity on progress of objectives and key results. To do this, you might develop a simple spreadsheet to remind you of the one-on-ones and on which you score their quality. Instrumenting leadership behavior changes the quality of that behavior.

As a leader, it’s crucial you identify the behavior you most want to see in your leaders – you will become a reflection of them, and they of you. For me, that quality is humility, which helps you understand that, no one person will ever have all the right answers given the complex world we live in. You don’t learn from others, or your mistakes, unless you’re humble enough to understand this.

Humble leaders ask for feedback or constructive criticism and they listen when it’s dished out. They admit their mistakes and aim to empower teams. They show courage by being comfortable with calculated risk and failure.

A recent Catalyst study showed companies with humble leaders are more likely to be innovative and have teams that are more dedicated to the company.

There are a few ways entrepreneurs can build a more humble culture in their organization:

Show that it’s ok to be human

Real people aren’t perfect all the time. Showing your team that you’re human helps them understand that you’re more than just a boss. By being transparent about your mistakes and the lessons you’ve learned over your career you can foster stronger teams and a culture of selflessness, where work politics takes a back seat to what’s best for the company, customer and team.

Encourage open, unfiltered conversation

A lot can be misconstrued over email. Encouraging your team to actually stand up and talk to each other can improve awareness, team dynamics and company culture. Airing out various perspectives can help team members feel more included and in the long run, can improve innovation. By incorporating more points of view, you’re more likely to come up with more creative solutions.

Get comfortable with the unknown

Embracing uncertainty and not knowing all the answers can actually drive a curious team to fill in the blanks. By not assuming you know everything, you create room for your team to search high and low for solutions, to test ideas and challenge themselves.

Growing a startup isn’t a linear journey. You’re going to make many mistakes and the ability to admit when you’re wrong is a critical quality that can be used to bring your teams closer together. To help your employees understand how to take calculated risks, fail fast, iterate and keep pushing forward.

By leading an organization to be human and humble, you will get to see amazing people do amazing things. Simply because you’re establishing an environment where it’s ok to try and fail – as long as you try.

About the Author
By Andy Lark
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Mel Robbins
SuccessGen Z
Millionaire podcaster Mel Robbins hits back at Gen Z’s lazy label—she says they’re stuck in a world their baby boomer parents wouldn’t even recognize
By Emma BurleighMay 23, 2026
18 minutes ago
Is a college degree is still worth it? Here are 3 things it can teach you that AI can’t do
Future of WorkColleges and Universities
Is a college degree is still worth it? Here are 3 things it can teach you that AI can’t do
By Jake AngeloMay 23, 2026
22 minutes ago
employees
CommentarySuccession
Millions of business owners are about to retire. They should sell to their employees
By Matt Helmer and Maxwell JohnsonMay 23, 2026
2 hours ago
Ashley Yetman
Commentarydisruption
Everyone is blaming AI for the death of ‘craft.’ Take a good look in the mirror
By Ashley YetmanMay 23, 2026
2 hours ago
Josh Smith, founder of Montana Knife Company.
SuccessEntrepreneurs
This 39-year-old quit his lineman job during the pandemic and built a $50 million company in his backyard
By Nick LichtenbergMay 23, 2026
3 hours ago
Kevin Warsh, chairman of the US Federal Reserve nominee for US President Donald Trump, is sworn in during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on April 21, 2026 in Washington, DC.
EconomyKevin Warsh
‘I almost fell out of my chair’: Fed stalwart Claudia Sahm fears Kevin Warsh’s policies could undo 20 years of policy progress
By Eleanor PringleMay 23, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
2 days ago
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
Success
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
By Emma BurleighMay 22, 2026
22 hours ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
3 days ago
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
AI
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
By Jake AngeloMay 22, 2026
21 hours ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
4 days ago
Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
Success
Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
By Preston ForeMay 22, 2026
23 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.