The 60 Second Podcast
If you could ask 1 question to your favorite leader, what would it be?
The 60 Second Podcast
John Richards, CEO of Startup Ignition Academy, Entrepreneur & Angel Investor
John Richards has seen it all—from co-founding ventures with high-multiple exits to mentoring thousands of entrepreneurs and teaching lean startup principles at top universities. In this 60-second masterclass, he reveals the career-changing insight that helped him evolve from a people-pleaser to a radically honest leader. The result? Stronger teams, clearer decisions, and accelerated growth.
Want to lead more effectively? This is your moment.
Q: What's the most important thing you've learned in your career that you wish you knew earlier?
John Richards:
It's that you can't please all of the people all of the time.
Early in my career, I was a people pleaser. I’d try to leave live, in-person meetings with everyone happy and pleased with the outcome. But that got me in more trouble. You can't please everyone—especially when decisions are being made in business and in operations.
About halfway through my career, I learned that radical honesty and being forthright actually got me better results. When I clearly expressed how I felt, where we were going, and made decisions that were best for the team or company—without worrying if every individual walked away happy—people respected that more.
It turned out that people appreciated knowing where they stood, and the organization advanced faster and with less friction. That one shift completely changed my outcomes.