The 100 Best Leadership Tips From Women Founders

From left to right, Ara Katz, Founder of Seed Health, Miranda Kerr, Founder of KORA Organics, Daniela Corrente, Founder of Reel, Suneera Madhani, Founder of Stax, Sophia Wang, Co-Founder of MycoWorks, Melissa Bridgeford of Wizard, Irma Bitwise Industries' Olguin Jr. Photo: courtesy subjects.

Women in the 2022 Ranking of Inc.'s 100 Women Founders. are full of wisdom on how to be bold in all things. Here, some of our award winners explain how that boldness translates into great leadership.

1. Don't forget the power of human contact.

Having earned a PhD in English from the University of California, Berkeley, Sophia Wang might have seemed an unlikely choice to co-found biotech startup MycoWorks in 2013. The company had developed a proprietary leather-like material called Fine mycelium. , made from the root structure of fungi. But co-founder and friend Philip Ross says Wang was precisely the storyteller he needed to help the company transition from biotech to fashion. Indeed: MycoWorks Fine Mycelium has since become a durable and coveted fabric for brands such as Hermès and luxury hatter Nick Fouquet. And Wang, now head of culture, says her liberal arts background influences how she nurtures the ever-expanding team of 175. She is the originator of the weekly MycoWorks lecture series, in which artists and scientists present their work; free company consulting services for employees; and an internal journal. “We want people to know each other's names and faces — the daily human touchpoints of being collaborators and teammates,” she says. -Hannah Wallace

2. Take up space.

"It's our perfectionism and self-talk that hold us back," says Suneera Madhani, founder of payment processing platform Stax. "As women, we're trained to be minimal and to apologize. We minimize ourselves. All we do is play small, and I see that all the time. When you really think, do you really trust your instincts? a little more. Use your voice 100% and take up space."

3. Stop trying to do everything.

"Focus on what you're really good at. That's incredibly important," says Daniela Corrente, founder of personal finance app Reel. "Understanding what you're good at, and delegating what you're not good at. Sometimes founders try to do it all. There's tremendous strength in saying that's where I shine, and those things who may not be my strength, that's where I'll find support."

4. Ask questions.

"Don't be afraid to ask for advice or admit you don't understand something," says Miranda Kerr, founder of skincare company KORA Organics. "Well that my strengths lie more in the creative elements, marketing and product development, P&L is not my forte.In the past, I was reluctant to ask for help because I didn't want to bother anyone. or people think I didn't understand. But people love to help, and being honest and transparent is important to understanding all aspects of your business."

5. Delegate decision making.

"Often your greatest strength as a founder can become your greatest weakness as a CEO," says Melissa Bridgeford, of A.I. E-Commerce Platform Wizard. "In early stage startups, successful founders wear so many different hats and make all the decisions. But as CEO,...