The Leadership Values That Set
Founders Apart

It's not ambition that sets founders apart in their leadership approach.

Data from our Leadership Values Assessment COA shows what really distinguishes them is a more positive relationship with uncertainty.

Compared with senior executives, founders place significantly higher value on change, curiosity and courage. Ambition, by contrast, ranks similarly highly across both groups.

As a startup scales, this orientation becomes essential. Navigating uncertainty requires the psychological flexibility to adapt to feedback, re-evaluate assumptions and change direction when the evidence demands it. Founder leadership also means making consequential decisions without knowing whether they will work. This requires the courage to effectively manage the anxiety that comes with uncertainty.

What should investors look for when assessing founders?

When assessing founders, don't overly focus on determining the founders' level of drive and ambition. Specifically look for curiosity, courage and openness to change. Because that's what determines whether a founder has the psychological flexibility to thrive in uncertainty.

For investors, these findings provide another lens when assessing founder leadership during due diligence.

Where Founders Differ Most

Founders compared with other senior leaders, across 29 core values and 12 core drivers.

Figures are effect sizes (Cohen's d): 0.2 is a small difference, 0.5 moderate, 0.8 large. Scores are relative, so each person is measured against their own value profile. Pattern replicated on an independent sample.