Hi Reader,

For two decades, I’ve worked with hundreds of leaders.

Some were exceptional, while others struggled to keep up. I’ve seen everything from time management, meeting culture, limiting beliefs, to emotional overwhelm destroy their careers.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to observe these leaders from both the perspective of a coach and a venture capitalist. From these vantage points, I've been able to track not only the different leadership styles across companies, but also the impact these styles had on teams and performance.

From startup founders to Fortune 500 executives, I’ve seen countless variations of what works and doesn’t work. I’ve seen how patterns emerge again and again, and how often they are completely counterintuitive.

I’ve wanted to share these findings for quite some time, and I’m excited to begin publishing them in this opt-in newsletter.

What Natural Leaders Do that Synthetic Leaders Don't

There are two forms of leadership:

1. Natural leadership
2. Synthetic leadership

One of the most unique characteristics about leadership in the modern age is that synthetic leadership is more prevalent than ever. People are given leadership roles—not because they are great leaders—but because of their tenure, or because they have done well in a previous role.

Natural leadership can be found everywhere, from schoolyards to sports teams. There are certain people who others tend to follow. You can tell the natural leaders because they drive performance. They’re the first to jump in, and they are the ones that others want to please or get approval from.

They’re the ones who are living as if the future they want has already occurred, and they are standing for that future. They don’t take responsibility for others, but they often empower them. Instead of dictating terms, they create a respect that people want to follow. They don’t get followership because they have power, they gain followership because they stand in their power.

When you’re in the world of synthetic leadership (without learning natural leadership), the result is burnout, resistance, and resentment. You’re constantly managing people and trying to get them to listen to you. Alignment is hard to come by, and there’s a deep feeling of being alone in making it all happen.

When you’re in the world of natural leadership, it feels good. People are eager to grow alongside you, everyone is more efficient and successful, and your business is more efficient and successful. It is a form of leadership that is fulfilling, not draining. It’s a leadership that has the ability to lift everyone up.

The AOA Leadership Newsletter

Congratulations, you are already opted in and will receive the next email soon.

Everything in our newsletter will be about divinginto natural leadership — what it is, how it works, and how to harness it.

We’ll be exploring counterintuitive leadership insights you won’t find anywhere else, like:

• What Baboons Teach Us About Leadership: How Leadership is Defined by Who and When We Follow
• “No” Will Save Your Company: How "No"s Create Alignment Better Than "Yes"
• The Hidden Lever for Lasting Cultural Change: How to Change Culture Without Anybody Noticing
• The Best Question to Increase Efficiency: How We Confuse Speed with Efficiency and How Personal Enjoyment is Key to Performance

Big Love,

Joe