12 Principles of Leadership: A Few Lessons Learned Through Experience

Leadership isn’t about control. It’s about responsibility, influence, and setting a standard that others want to follow. The best leaders don’t just tell people what to do. They create and facilitate environments where people thrive on their own, where challenges are met with solutions, and where culture reflects the values they practice every day.

There certainly are countless lessons that come with leadership, and I am always learning more. But these are the core rules I remind myself of time and time again. These are the ones that have shaped my decision-making, guided me through challenges, and held their value no matter the situation.

These twelve rules aren’t taken from a book. They come from real experience. They come from leading teams, following others, building ventures, making difficult decisions, and learning from both success and failure. Leadership looks different depending on the size of the team and the challenges at hand, but the core principles stay the same. These are the lessons that have held their value in every situation I’ve faced.

1. When you're the leader, be expected to know everything. Don’t assume people will give you a pass just because you're human.

Being in charge means you can’t afford to be clueless. You don’t need to handle every task yourself, but you must have a clear understanding of what’s happening at all times. A leader who doesn’t grasp the details of their organization quickly loses credibility. People might forgive the occasional mistake, but they won’t trust someone who always seems out of the loop. Staying informed isn’t optional. It’s part of the job.

I learned this the hard way when I was negotiating an investment deal early on. I was about 24 years old at the time, and the conversation had nothing to do with logistics. At some point, the topic came up, and an investor casually asked me for a precise figure, down to the cent, about a cost in my supply chain. I didn’t have an answer.

The person I was dealing with was a seasoned leader. He could tell I was young, ambitious, and still gaining experience as a CEO. Instead of calling me out, he gave me a piece of advice that stuck with me. He told me that a leader is expected to know every detail. It wasn’t about micromanaging or having all the answers on the spot. It was about being deeply familiar with every part of the business. That moment made me realize that true leadership isn’t just about vision. It’s about understanding the details that make that vision a reality.

2. Don’t fall in love with your title. Your value isn’t in your title. It’s in the responsibility you take on.

A title doesn’t make you a leader. Your actions do. I’ve seen people sit at the top of organizations without actually leading. They show up to board meetings, give a speech, and disappear. That’s not leadership. People don’t follow titles. They follow someone who takes responsibility, makes tough decisions, and shows up when it matters. If all you have is a title, you don’t have much at all.

When you’re deep in the work, the title is the last thing that matters. In my startup, I wasn’t just making high-level decisions. I was handling customer service, working on product development, managing finances, and doing whatever it took to keep things moving forward. I used to picture CEOs sitting on the top floor of a skyscraper, feet up on the desk, casually flipping through a newspaper. That image couldn’t have been further from my reality. Leadership isn’t about the title next to your name. It’s about stepping up, doing the hard things, and being accountable for everything under your watch.

3. As a leader, you set the tone for company culture.

Culture isn’t created through mission statements or posters on the wall. It comes from the way people act, especially those at the top. If a leader is disciplined, the team will reflect that. If a leader is disengaged, people will check out. The best teams don’t just follow rules. They follow the example set by leadership.

That does not mean culture is a one-way street. The best leaders understand that culture evolves over time. They listen, adapt, and ensure the environment stays strong and relevant. While the tone starts at the top, it is reinforced at every level. If you want to understand a company’s culture, you do not need to look too high up. Talk to an intern or anyone else you can get a hold of. They should be able to tell you everything you need to know.

4. A leader must also know when to follow.

We hear this one quite often.

No one is an expert at everything. The best leaders recognize when someone else knows more and let them take the lead. I’ve seen people in leadership positions fail because they refused to listen to the people they hired. If you try to control every decision, you’ll slow everything down. Trust the experts around you and step aside when necessary.

5. Leaders show respect to everyone, in any role, at any level.

A real leader never looks down on people. Every role exists for a reason, and every person contributes to the bigger picture. Interns can become executives, struggling competitors can rise to the top, and quiet employees often have the most untapped potential. Success is never guaranteed, and neither is failure.

The best leaders treat everyone with respect, not because it’s a leadership tactic, but because they genuinely recognize the value in others. Leadership is not about status. It is about understanding that everyone plays an important role. If you believe otherwise, you have no business leading and that person you don't respect has no business being in your organization.

6. A leader never stops learning.

The moment you think you know everything, you have already started falling behind. The world moves fast, and leadership is no different. The best leaders are not just confident in what they know. They are curious about what they do not. That mindset alone keeps a leader both humble and open to growth.

Leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about knowing how to find them. The willingness to learn, adapt, and seek out new perspectives is what separates those who lead from those who simply hold a title.

7. Always be solution-centric.

Anyone can point out problems. The real question is, what are you going to do about it?

A leader’s job goes beyond identifying issues. It is about finding solutions and driving progress. Some people get stuck focusing on what is wrong, but that does not move anything forward. The best leaders create a culture where challenges are not seen as obstacles but as opportunities to improve. I will be diving deeper into the importance of a solution-centric mindset in another article.

8. If you stand for something important, opposition is inevitable.

Any leader doing something meaningful will face resistance. Competitors will try to outwork you, critics will question you, and sometimes, even your own team will doubt you. That’s normal. It’s part of the process.

The best leaders don’t get distracted by outside noise. They stay focused, keep improving, and trust that results will speak louder than opinions.

9. Have a solid vision but be flexible with the details.

The best leaders know where they’re going, but they’re not rigid about how to get there. Some of the biggest failures happen when leaders are so attached to one plan that they ignore signs that it isn’t working. The vision stays the same, but the path can change. The best leaders know when to pivot.

10. Develop a system for effective decision-making.

Leaders make decisions all day, every day. The best ones do not leave it to chance.

Some decisions require data and analysis, while others rely on instinct. Some simply need to be made quickly to keep things moving forward. The strongest leaders develop a structured approach to weighing options, evaluating risks, and executing with confidence.

A well-defined decision-making process keeps choices consistent, minimizes emotional bias, and ensures reliability. More often than not, indecision is more damaging than making the wrong choice.

11. Take extreme ownership and accountability.

Jocko Willink, in his book Extreme Ownership, greatly emphasizes a fundamental truth about leadership: A weak leader blames everyone else when things go wrong, while a strong leader owns every outcome.

Taking ownership does not mean taking the blame for mistakes you did not make. It means recognizing that as a leader, everything ultimately falls under your responsibility. If something fails under your watch, it is your job to figure out what went wrong, learn from it, and put measures in place to ensure it does not happen again. The best leaders set this standard, and in doing so, they create a culture of accountability where the entire team takes ownership of their roles and responsibilities.

12. Communication is the backbone of leadership.

There are many reasons organizations fail, but one thing is certain—the best organizations in the world have strong communication structures. Effective communication is more than just sending emails or holding meetings. It ensures that every team member knows exactly who to contact, where to find the information they need, and how their role fits into the bigger picture.

Poor communication leads to confusion, wasted time, and poor decision-making. The best leaders create clarity, establish open lines of communication, and encourage feedback at every level. A well-structured communication system keeps teams aligned, efficient, and focused on the goals that matter most.

Leadership is an Ongoing Process

Leadership is not about power or authority. It is about setting a standard, creating clarity, and making decisions that move people and organizations forward. It is about responsibility, adaptability, and the willingness to evolve.

These twelve rules have held their value in every venture I have been a part of. But leadership is not something you master once and carry with you forever. It is something you refine over time, shaped by experience, challenges, and the people you lead.

No one gets it right all the time. The best leaders understand that leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about being willing to learn, adjust, and grow into the role every single day. It is also about staying grounded and recognizing that leadership is just one part of a much larger picture. A leader may guide the vision, but every individual plays an essential role in making it a reality.

Just some food for thought. Thanks for reading!