Leading in a Serious World Requires Humanity

In a recent conversation with my Stanford colleague Matt Abrahams, host of the popular podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart, we explored the qualities that define the most effective leaders in today’s complex and often chaotic world.

What we’re seeing isn’t just a shift in tactics or strategies—it’s a shift in tone from some of our most compelling leaders.

Many of the leaders I’ve studied and worked with—across industries, company sizes, and geographies—share a surprising and powerful common trait: they carry themselves with a humble authority.

They don’t pretend to have all the answers. They don’t perform certainty for applause. Instead, they open up space for others to contribute, to challenge, and to co-create. They tell their teams: I’m figuring it out too. That kind of leadership—authentic, human—isn't weak. It’s serious. And it’s effective.

It isn't that they aren't confident. Rather, they are not shy to admit if they don't have an answer at the moment on a particular topic, and they share what they are doing to get things done to figure it out.

We live in a moment saturated with what I like to call unserious behaviors in a serious world. We see public figures replace substance with spectacle—consider the bizarre moment when two of Silicon Valley’s most powerful CEOs threatened to settle a business dispute in a cage match. Millions of people hoped to tune in, not to learn, but to watch the show.

But leadership is not performance art.

Many of our leaders don’t grandstand. They don’t substitute moral posturing for meaningful action. They don’t chase trivial goals at the expense of their customers, their teams, or the long-term health of their organizations. And they certainly don’t look down on the people they serve.

The leaders we studied are present, grounded, and aware of the weight of their decisions. They lead not through flash, but through clarity and care. They are serious people—serious about values, about mission, and about the responsibility that comes with influence.

And maybe most importantly, they are not afraid to show their humanity.

That’s the message I hope you take away from this conversation with Matt Abrahams. These are not leaders striving to appear perfect. They’re people committed to growing, listening, adapting—and inviting others to do the same.

As our students prepare to lead in an era of uncertainty and noise, these lessons offer a model for a different kind of leadership: one rooted in humility, honesty, and the belief that strength and softness are not mutually exclusive.

I invite you to watch the video below, and reflect on what it means to lead.

About The Systems Leader:

A groundbreaking blueprint for mastering “cross-pressures” in a rapidly changing world, teaching leaders to execute and innovate, think locally and globally, and project ambition and statesmanship alike—from a Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer and consultant to some of the biggest and most innovative CEOs.

Actionable and powerful, The Systems Leader is a playbook for riding turbulent waves instead of drowning in them—and for taking readers from chaos to clarity.

About Robert:

Robert Siegel is a Lecturer in Management at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, a venture investor, and an operator.

At the Stanford Graduate School of Business he has taught nine different courses, authored over 115 business cases, and led research on companies including Google, Charles Schwab, Daimler, AB InBev, Box, Stripe, Target, AngelList, 23andMe, Majid Al Futtaim, Tableau, PayPal, Medium, Autodesk, Minted, Axel Springer and Michelin, amongst others.

Robert is a Venture Partner at Piva and a General Partner at XSeed Capital. He sits on the Board of Directors of Avochato and FindMine, and led investments in Zooz (acquired by PayU of Naspers), Hive, Lex Machina (acquired by LexisNexis of RELX Group ), CirroSecure (acquired by Palo Alto Networks), Nova Credit, The League (acquired by Match Group), Teapot (acquired by Stripe), Pixlee (acquired by Emplifi), and SIPX (acquired by ProQuest).

He is the author of The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross-Pressures That Make or Break Today's Companies, and The Brains and Brawn Company: How Leading Organizations Blend the Best of Digital and Physical.

He is the co-inventor of four patents and served as lead researcher for Andy Grove’s best-selling book, Only the Paranoid Survive.

Robert holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford University. He is married with three grown children.