In the startup world, where every funding round depends on the trust of investors and the team rather than on orders, traditional hierarchy often turns into a leak of talent and capital. Pope Leo XIV, according to experts at Kellogg and Harvard, offers a different approach: less vertical power, more closeness and service. This style, tested in a global organization with 1,4 billion followers, directly affects how founders manage resources and build long-term value.
Robert Prevost, who became Leo XIV, traveled a path from missionary in Peru to head of the Augustinians. His biography is an example of a global profile without reliance on formal authority. In startups, where engineers and customers vote with their feet rather than obey, such a model is especially relevant. Authority here is earned not by title but by the ability to keep people around a common goal.
Experts note the pope's centrism: he is not extreme on any issue but seeks points of agreement. In a polarized startup team, this means inviting different views into dialogue instead of imposing a course. Such an approach reduces the risk of conflicts that often lead to missed deadlines and lost investors.
Leo XIV acts as an institutionalist: he changes the system from within by activating local networks rather than speaking from a podium. For a founder, this is a lesson: delegate key messages to those closer to the market. A message about company values weighs more when it is delivered not by the CEO but by a product leader or a customer manager.
The principle of "non multa sed multum" — not many things, but deeply — helps with focus. The average board of directors drags along 8–12 priorities; the pope holds to one. Under conditions of limited capital and time, this translates into clear three goals per quarter. Everything else is cut off, which preserves resources and increases the likelihood of a successful exit.
Power as service overturns the usual logic: the leader is not at the top but at the foundation, supporting the others. In startups, this means that the founder acknowledges his limits and asks the team for help. Such a style strengthens loyalty, and loyalty directly affects the retention of key employees and, consequently, the company's valuation.
Listening before deciding is another tool. Synodality in the pope's case is not decorative: consultations end with concrete working groups with owners and deadlines. In startup finance, this reduces the likelihood of errors in product-market fit and helps attract higher-quality investment.
Leo XIV's position on AI looks especially timely. In the encyclical he emphasizes: technology is subordinate to ethics, the algorithm does not replace human judgment. For founders developing AI products, this is a signal: automation must not destroy jobs without compensation. Investors are increasingly evaluating precisely the social sustainability of models.
Concrete practices from the analysis: leave an "empty chair" at meetings for absent stakeholders; limit priorities to three; tie every discussion to an execution date. These steps turn abstract values into operational rules that protect capital from leaks.
The five ideas of strength highlighted in Forbes Argentina come down to one: less hierarchy and more closeness, fewer words and more example, less coercion and more listening. Ultimately, leadership becomes not a way to rise but a way to build an organization where money works for people, and not the other way around.
