Leadership Excellence: A Profile on Lauren DeSouza, Co-Founder and CEO at Ace
Do you mind introducing yourself and what you do?
My name is Lauren, I'm the co-founder and CEO of a company called Ace. We are an interview training platform where we help job seekers get ready for their interviews. We offer mock interviews, exercises and personalised feedback delivered by our AI, which helps people know exactly what and how to improve. I've been working on this business for the past 3-ish years, therefore I’ve done a deep dive into the whole interviewing world and how to make sure that people feel confident and prepared. Outside of that, I'm very involved in the entrepreneurial ecosystem because I believe we grow better together as entrepreneurs and founders in this crazy space that we're in. I also teach entrepreneurship to students in grades 4 to 12 because I think that it's really important to give back and start at a much younger age.
What does leadership mean to you?
We've been bootstrapped right from the beginning. So we've been pretty lean this entire time, therefore in terms of my company and my team, it's a bit different, because we're always working with contractors, people who work part time and also students. However, leadership means the same whether you have this kind of team or a team of 500.
“The main priority for me as a leader is, “How can I make sure that I'm leaving something better than when it started?” For me, this means always starting with things like empathy and trying to understand the people I am working with.”
Now when my co-founder and I work with people, whether it's a contractor, a student, intern or whoever it is…. any single person that we come in contact with, we connect with them and think about what we can do to help bring out the best in them. This requires understanding before we seek to be understood. So for me leadership means, being empathetic and understanding what brings out the potential of somebody in whatever context they are working in, so that at the end of the day, we can get to the core of what we’re trying to accomplish.
What are some of the unique ways that you've been able to navigate motivating and gaining commitment from people working with you on a temporary basis?
I think it all starts with how you engage in the work with these people because they're there for a specific reason. That reason may be to gain more experience or to run their own business in the long run. So again, always going by the saying, seek first to understand before being understood.
Let's say for example, we are hiring a ghost writer for our content marketing side of things. It's not just saying, “OK, can you write this? Can you get it done?” It's first asking, “What would you like to see out of this engagement? What would be really good for you?” Because sometimes people will come to me and say I really want this to go well so I can use this as a testimonial for my next business. If that’s the case then, great, let's make it happen! Then I can use that as my guiding light.
“Understanding their end goal and also communicating ours, allows me to motivate us to work as a team to accomplish these goals.”
So I would say, “That's wonderful. I'm happy to make sure that you get great testimonials out of this or a great case study. On our end we're really hoping to achieve these results. So let's organise this in a way that we're both achieving our goal.” Instead of a transactional relationship, we’re really making the human connection. Understanding what someone is really trying to do, is the best way to get things done.
What are key characteristics that you think every leader should have?
When I think about people that I'm inspired by, the first things that come to mind are people who are humble, they're empathetic and they have a strong vision. These leaders have an ability to use a blend of these 3 characteristics to motivate and unite people.
“When you're bringing people together as a leader, what you’re actually doing is bringing out the best of the best of people who are probably much smarter than you in different domains (like marketing, sales, etc). But it's your role to bring them together and move them towards a specific goal.”
What would you say has been your greatest challenge in the leadership role?
My biggest challenge as a leader is knowing what to delegate and what to keep using my own strengths or what to focus my time on. As the leader of a smaller business, you're doing a little bit of everything all the time. You have to become great at marketing, great at sales, great at product knowledge, great at this, great at that. As you start to grow, especially for us this year, as we start to scale, I'm going to need to outsource a little bit more of what I do because I just can't handle everything at once. And so I think it's understanding the core priorities that I need to focus on and figuring out how to go about delegating that rest while trusting other people to take on those tasks.
As a leader, how do you think you impact the culture of your organisation?
My co-founder and I have always talked about this from the start. At first we wondered how you build a culture out of just 2 people, but that's where culture starts… with the first person (or first two in our case).
Therefore, the way that we go about our communications through our different platforms and how we build the product, we try to maintain a culture of being very open and honest. We also recognize that having an ego will not get you very far. So leaving our egos aside and being ready to be transparent allows us to grow from any mistakes that we’ve made.
Also, at risk of sounding like a broken record, I believe culture is really about empathy. I think so many problems can be squashed, whether it is between coworkers or customers, just by trying to understand where they're coming from. So when we’re bringing new people on board, we focus not only on people that have exceptional skills, but also those that can operate well in the culture we’ve built, which means having the ability to be open and honest, taking constructive criticism and being able to grow from that.
The thing is there's so many talented people out there and everyone has the technical skills, the degrees, and the certifications. But when my cofounder and I are deciding between 2 candidates.
For example:
Candidate A who has 10 years of experience, is absolutely exceptional, with out of this world technical ability, however they have a wall built up around them because they think they are the expert with nothing more to learn.
Candidate B who has about half the amount of experience, but is extremely passionate and really wants to grow and get better.
We're always going to choose Candidate B because that person has the willingness to learn, emotional intelligence and a willingness to participate in the culture we’ve built.
As a leader, I impact the culture by leading with empathy and understanding so that I can identify the things that people truly care about and how best to invest in them. So as many times as I've said it already, I think it's obvious, I very much appreciate the empathetic approach.
As a leader, what are your strategies for engaging or motivating your team?
As a smaller startup, we constantly deal with changing timelines and priorities. Everything we do is driven by user feedback, which means we're often shifting focus. For instance, if a customer tells us they'll sign a deal only if certain features are added, we make those changes quickly. Likewise, if there's a bug that could impact the user experience, we'll drop everything to fix it. This can create challenges around motivating people, especially those who prefer working on long-term projects with clear structure and stability. But we don't have that kind of predictability yet.
One strategy I use to address this challenge is to evaluate a candidate's comfort with uncertainty during the hiring and onboarding process. It's crucial to ensure that they are not only comfortable with this level of volatility but are also interested in working with us. If they're okay with this dynamic, we focus on creating clear communication channels and regular check-ins to help them navigate our fast-paced environment. “
The most important factor, however, is granting them autonomy and responsibility in their roles”.
Even in the midst of chaos, if someone can take ownership and drive a project forward, it tends to work out.
The downside of constant change is that it often feels like you're never really finishing anything. We're always juggling multiple projects, fixing bugs, and tweaking features. To help my team find a sense of ownership, I give them specific responsibilities. For example, let's say someone is responsible for platform enhancements and improvements. Although the work is volatile, they know that the overall progress of the platform is in their hands. Even if our direction shifts, they can still see their impact on the project, from concept to completion.
What advice would you give to those who are new to leadership positions?
Being new to leadership can feel strange at times, however leadership isn't just about managing a team of 20, 35, or 100 people. It's more about how you influence others, whether in a professional or personal setting. You don't need to be in a specific role, like CEO, to be a leader—you can lead from any position and still make a significant impact.
So my advice for someone new to leadership is starting with an understanding of the influence you have and the potential impact you can make. Consider your role, the context in which you're leading, and the values that guide you. Define your own set of values that will drive your leadership style and align yourself with those. For me, these include humility, empathy, and having a strong vision. I always bring myself back to that. When faced with a decision, ask yourself: "Is this approach consistent with my values? " This will help guide you through different situations and challenges.
What has been the most rewarding part of your experience as a leader?
The reality is, you face a lot of ups and downs—more downs than ups, to be honest. And you’re constantly trying to pick yourself back up. What I find most rewarding is seeing how much I've improved at bouncing back. As a leader, people look to you to guide them through tough situations. When things are falling apart and nothing seems to be working, they expect you to find a way out. At first, I used to panic, sweat, and feel completely overwhelmed. And to be honest, I still have those moments. It's not like I have everything figured out. But I've gotten better at managing stress and finding solutions. Now, when a crisis hits, I focus on how to navigate through it. When I notice how I've improved at handling these situations, it feels like real growth. I realized I’ve developed a thicker skin and I’m better equipped to lead and support my team.
On a brighter note, one of the most fulfilling aspects of my role is seeing our users engage with our platform. Coming from the startup world, with a small team and a growing business, it's incredible to see the impact we have on people's lives. When someone tells me that something my co-founder and I created helped them get a job, it's the best feeling in the world. Just the other day, someone shared that our platform gave them the confidence to speak up and showcase their skills, which led to them landing a job. I don't care about titles or recognition, but knowing that what we’ve built makes a real difference for others is the most rewarding thing.
What are you driven by?
I'm driven by using my abilities and skills to create a positive impact wherever I go. Leaving something better than I found it is a driving force for me, whether it's in my personal relationships or in business. I believe in continuously investing in others and making a positive difference, whether through shared experiences, kind words, or meaningful actions.
In everything I do, I ask myself, “Can I leave something better than how I found it? Or can I leave a lasting positive impact on someone or something? This is what drives me each and every day.
