Leadership is not a figma file.
You can’t show it in an interview.

Types of leaders

Leadership styles aren’t one-size-fits-all, but here’s a handy (and slightly snarky) breakdown of the most common types:

Leader Type	Traits	When It Works	When It Fails
The Visionary	Big ideas, big decks, no idea how to implement	Startups, reinvention moments	When the team needs actual direction
The Servant	Empathetic, team-first, humble	High-performing, self-motivated teams	Can be overrun by stronger personalities
The Authoritarian	Clear, direct, often dictatorial	Crisis situations or rigid hierarchies	Anywhere that values creativity
The Micromanager	Wants to know what font you’re using in your doc	Never	Always
The Absentee	“Great at delegation” a.k.a. never around	Sales conferences in the Maldives	Literally every other situation
The Buddy	Too friendly to lead, allergic to accountability	Team morale events, karaoke nights	Performance management, hard decisions

---

Poll time

I’m definitely the servant type, but early in my career I was the buddy.

Quick Apology:
To all those I managed early in my career, I’m sorry, I wish I did better. But, we sure had a great time.

---

What makes a great leader?

Forget the LinkedIn posts with stock photos of mountain climbers. Here’s what really matters:

1. Self-awareness

They know their strengths, their gaps, and when to get out of the way.

Fact Check:
According to Harvard Business Review, 95% of people think they’re self-aware. Only 10 to 15% actually are. So chances are your boss isn’t.

2. Empathy

Not the fake “I see you” kind. Actual, let-me-understand-what-you-need-to-thrive empathy. Good leaders coach individuals, not just teams.

3. Clarity

Great leaders know how to take messy goals and turn them into simple, clear direction. Vague missions like “Drive innovation” mean nothing without this.

4. Accountability

They own the wins and the losses. They don’t throw their team under the bus because they’re usually the one driving it.

5. Consistency

Your team shouldn’t have to guess which version of you is walking into the meeting. Emotional consistency builds trust.

Why interviews can’t spot a great leader

Let’s be honest. Leadership interviews are broken. Why?

1. It’s All Theater

Candidates have rehearsed their “Tell me about a time…” answers like a high school monologue. You’re seeing performance, not pattern.

2. The Charm Trap

Some of the worst leaders are amazing in interviews. Charisma isn’t capability. Being persuasive isn’t the same as being effective.

3. No Context

Better Idea:
Look at patterns. Ask for actual examples of team impact.
Do 360 reviews. And maybe stop judging based on how confidently they talk about “transformation.”

Interviews don’t show how someone leads under pressure, in a conflict, or after three back-to-back Slack pings that say “quick question.”

Leadership can’t be shown in a portfolio (and barely fits in a resume)

Let’s get real. Leadership isn’t something you can slap into a case study or sum up in a slide deck.

Portfolios Show Work. Leadership Happens Between the Work.

You can’t wireframe trust. You can’t prototype influence. And your best leadership moments probably didn’t involve a Figma file. They happened in a quiet 1:1 conversation that helped someone grow, a tough call that protected your team, or a late-night fire drill you handled without turning it into a trauma bond.

Those moments don’t fit on a portfolio page.

Interviews Want “Impact,” But Miss the Real Stuff

Hiring managers ask, “Tell me about a time you led a team through change.” Great. But they don’t see the ten quiet adjustments you made to keep that team steady, the late-night check-ins, or the internal politics you navigated without turning into a full-time diplomat.

And if you try to explain that? You sound vague. Or worse, like every other LinkedIn leadership post quoting someone they’ve never actually read.

What You Don’t See in a Portfolio:

• The junior designer who stayed because they felt safe
• The sprint you de-scoped to prevent burnout
• The meeting you skipped so others could speak up
• The toxic exec you challenged to protect your team

These things are invisible but essential.

They are the difference between someone who leads and someone who just manages the work.

What you see vs. What matters

Visible on Resume or Portfolio	Invisible but Impactful Leadership
Big redesign project	Quietly retained your entire team during chaos
Stakeholder presentation skills	Coached a struggling teammate back to confidence
Metrics on feature delivery	Protected your team’s focus by deflecting chaos
Awards and certifications	Created a culture where feedback is safe and real
“Led cross-functional team”	Earned trust from people who didn’t have to follow you

What makes a bad leader?

Here’s your checklist. If they hit three or more, you may be in a motivational poster factory, not a functioning organization.

1. Blame Shifting

Never their fault. Ever. Even when it is.

2. Hoarding Credit

You did the work, they did the presentation. Guess whose name was on the slide? Not yours.

3. Insecurity in Disguise

They say things like “I’m just playing devil’s advocate” when they’re just scared of being wrong.

4. Chaos as a Strategy

They thrive in dysfunction. Clarity makes them nervous. If their favorite phrase is “Let’s keep things fluid,” it’s time to start planning your exit.

5. Feedback-phobic

They want “open communication,” but mysteriously ghost whenever someone has constructive feedback.

How do we promote better leaders?

Just because you’ve been in a position for a while or your leader left, doesn’t make you an instant leader.
Not everyone can lead, and honestly, most shouldn’t.

Here’s a radical idea.

Measure leadership the same way we measure user experience, by its impact on humans.

Good vs. Bad Leadership Outcomes

Metric	Good Leadership	Bad Leadership
Team Retention	High	Revolving door
Employee Engagement	Energized, focused	Cynical, burned out
Cross-functional Collaboration	Seamless and strategic	Passive-aggressive email threads
Innovation	Safe to explore, test, and fail	Everyone plays it safe
Culture	Inclusive, resilient	Turf wars and gossip

One last thing.

Great leaders don’t need to say, “I’m a great leader.”
They are too busy making space for others to thrive.

Bad leaders? They usually have a podcast, a TEDx talk, and a firm opinion about Slack etiquette.