Finding Your Unique Leadership Style
When I launched Jotform in 2006, I had never held a leadership role before. In fact, I’d never even managed a team. My background was in computer science, and I had an idea that clearly had market potential. Yet, none of that prepared me for the realities of leading a company. Should I adopt the iron-fisted approach of Steve Jobs, inspiring fear to enforce discipline? Or should I take a hands-off approach like Warren Buffett, who famously trusts his teams to manage themselves?
In the end, I did neither. It took several years to develop my own leadership style, one rooted in a core belief: the recipe for a successful company is hiring talented people and empowering them to succeed.
Along the way, I learned the value of being vulnerable with employees, which proved crucial during challenging times like the pandemic. I also discovered that effective leadership doesn’t require being a loud, charismatic extrovert — for me, quiet empathy became my strength.
Start with What You Know About Yourself
Much leadership advice encourages mimicking successful leaders—reading their books, adopting their habits, and fitting yourself into their mold. While studying various approaches is valuable, blindly replicating others rarely leads to authentic or sustainable success, especially if those styles don’t align with your innate tendencies.
Instead, begin by asking: who are you? How do you process information? Do you make better decisions solo or in group settings? When you’ve disagreed with authority, did you voice your thoughts or stay silent?
Identifying your natural inclinations early on is critical because leadership inevitably involves stress. Knowing your default responses helps you navigate tough situations—whether a key employee quits, a product launch fails, or you must deliver difficult news. These moments crystallize your leadership identity.
Developing Your Leadership Style — Consciously
According to sociolinguist Howard Giles, individuals use social markers to relate to others; these markers fall into two broad categories: powerful traits (loudness, formality, interruptions) and attractive traits (eye contact, attentive listening). The most effective leaders blend these markers and adjust them depending on context.
As Suzanne J. Peterson, Robin Abramson, and R.K. Stutman explain in Harvard Business Review, “Leaders often need to tweak their style multiple times in a day — sometimes in the course of a single situation.”
Once you recognize which traits come naturally, you can work on those that feel less intuitive. For example, I vividly recall my first experience having to fire an employee. Despite multiple complaints about her conduct, I gave her the benefit of the doubt repeatedly, hoping the issues could be resolved through better communication.
At the time, I hesitated to make a decisive call because I feared being the “bad guy.” Delivering unpleasant news wasn’t natural for me. Over time, I learned that you can be kind and firm simultaneously. This was a muscle I had to develop, but it was essential for effective leadership.
The Role of Values
Over time, your business will evolve—the market shifts, your team changes, and your approach adapts. However, your core values should remain steadfast.
For me, one foundational conviction is that people do their best work when they feel trusted. This belief has influenced everything from hiring practices to how I handle mistakes. It has sometimes made me slower to let employees go and more willing to tolerate failure. Some of these calls have paid off; others have not.
Your values will be unique. To identify yours, write down two or three principles you would never compromise, even if it costs you. Use this list as a compass, especially when under pressure, to ensure your decisions align with your fundamental beliefs.
Leadership style rarely emerges fully formed at the outset. It is an iterative, conscious process that takes time and reflection. But investing effort in understanding yourself and your values will help you become the leader you aspire to be — and that investment is undoubtedly worthwhile.
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