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\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
When I launched Jotform in 2006, I had never worked as the head of a company. In fact, I\u2019d never so much as managed a team. I had a background in computer science and an idea that was clearly marketable, neither of which did much to prepare me for what was to come. Should I rule with an iron fist, inspiring fear among my employees, \u00e0 la Steve Jobs? Or should I emulate Warren Buffett, famously hands-off?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ultimately, I did neither. To be honest, it took me a few years to develop my own style, which itself was guided by my core belief that the recipe for a successful company is hiring good people and setting them up to succeed. <\/p>\n
I learned the power of being vulnerable with employees, which helped when it came to leading through the pandemic. I also learned that you don\u2019t need to be a loud, charismatic extrovert to be a good leader \u2014 for me, quiet empathy was much more my style.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If I could do one thing differently, though, it would be to begin to figure out who I was as a leader before I actually stepped into the role. Here\u2019s what I know now that I didn\u2019t know then.<\/p>\n
Much of the existing leadership advice tells you to mimic other leaders. You should read their books, find an archetype and fit yourself into their mold. While I absolutely agree that it\u2019s useful to study up on different approaches, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s true that you need to do what they do. Replicating the habits of others, especially if they don\u2019t align with your natural instincts, rarely leads to success.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, think about who you are. How do you process information? Do you make better decisions alone or in a room full of people? When you\u2019ve disagreed with someone in authority, did you say as much or let it go?<\/p>\n
Identifying your innate tendencies early on is essential, because when running a business gets stressful (as it inevitably will), you want to understand your default settings. When a key employee quits, when a product launch fails or when you have to deliver bad news \u2014 these are the moments where who you are as a leader begins to solidify.<\/p>\n
According<\/a> to the sociolinguist Howard Giles, everyone has certain social markers that we use to relate to others, which determine how they perceive us. Each of our individual markers typically falls into one of two categories \u2014 powerful, characterized by traits like loudness, formality and unapologetic interruptions; and attractive, defined by traits like maintaining eye contact and focused listening.\u00a0<\/p>\n