From Personality to Principle: A Leadership Crossroads
Fifteen years ago, I sat in an executive boardroom with a leadership team that had just reached a thoughtful, collaborative decision: we would not move forward with a particular initiative. The discussion had been thorough. Everyone was heard. We had alignment.
An hour later, the CEO walked in and told us we would be moving forward with the initiative.
Right or wrong, the decision had consequences—particularly for the leadership team’s sense of ownership and empowerment. After investing so much time and energy, we were left wondering: What was the point of our deliberation?
That moment has stayed with me.
The Founder’s Choice
As a business grows and matures, its founder or top leader eventually faces a pivotal choice:
Will I lead based on my preferences, emotions, and instincts in the moment—or will I lead based on principles, processes, and shared purpose?
Leaders who default to personal preference risk building a culture of confusion and disconnection. But those who transition to principle-based leadership create clarity, trust, and sustainable impact.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison:
| Personality-Driven Leadership | Principle-Driven Leadership |
|---|---|
| Decisions based on mood, impulse, or personal preference | Decisions grounded in process, input, and strategy |
| Authority concentrated in the leader | Authority distributed through trust and structure |
| Inconsistent leadership style—team never knows what to expect | Consistent leadership guided by core values and character |
| Strategy shifts with distractions and whims | Strategy is clear, documented, and measured |
| Followers seek permission for everything | Followers are empowered to act with autonomy |
Moving from Personality to Principle
If you’re a founder or executive ready to shift toward principle-driven leadership, consider the following questions:
-
What are your core values?
Are they truly embedded into how you lead and how your business operates? -
What authority have you delegated to your team?
Can they move forward confidently without checking in with you on every decision? -
What is your decision-making process?
Is it clear, collaborative, and repeatable—or dependent on your gut feeling that day? -
What is your strategy?
Have you identified your top four priorities for the year, and does your team know what success looks like?
Principled leadership isn’t about being robotic—it’s about being reliable.
When values, process, and shared purpose drive the organization, your team no longer wastes energy guessing what matters. They already know.
And that’s when the real work gets done.