Thriving at AvePoint: How Our Leadership Behaviors Shape Success

At AvePoint, leadership is more than just a role — it’s a mindset. Whether you're applying for a position or growing within the company, we believe success comes from thriving, both personally and professionally. Our leadership behaviors, established to support this vision, serve as a foundation for fostering a culture that aligns business success with individual growth. I sat down with Stuart Robertson, AvePoint’s Chief Operating Officer, to get his perspective on why we codified these behaviors, how they guide our daily operations, and what it means to lead at AvePoint.

The Motivation Behind AvePoint’s Leadership Behaviors

When asked about the motivation for establishing leadership behaviors at AvePoint, Stuart is clear: culture is everything. “We know the skills we need for each job, but even more important is hiring for culture fit and attitude,” he explains. “Skills can be taught, but culture and attitude are harder to instill.”

AvePoint’s leadership behaviors are:

• Visionary and Practical: Ready to take bold steps with conviction, taking calculated risks while prioritizing business needs over personal interest.
• Inclusive and Empathetic: Empowering people to thrive in their strengths, bringing stakeholders along on our shared journey.
• Ownership and Accountability: Owning the result, promoting accountability, and celebrating success while learning from shortcomings.
• Passion and Motivation: Championing AvePoint culture, creating energy in our teams and inspiring people to do their best.

AvePoint’s leadership pillars were born from the need to put focus on the behaviors our people have led with, which got AvePoint to where it is today and we know will lead us through our continued growth and align with AvePoint’s core values. In keeping them simple and straightforward, the goal was to avoid the pitfalls of vague corporate speak and instead create something that felt authentic and representative of the company’s true ethos. “We didn’t want to polish the language to the point where it lost its meaning,” Stuart adds. By focusing on key attributes that strengthen our leadership culture, these behaviors became a practical guide for leadership development and talent management, grounded in AvePoint’s history and values.

From Concept to Day-to-Day Integration

The leadership behaviors are quickly becoming integral to AvePoint’s daily operations. AvePoint’s TakePoint leadership development series is one example of how these behaviors are being applied. Through practical examples and structured programs, AvePoint people managers can learn from executives and their peers how the behaviors are put into practice and have the confidence to do so themselves. Additionally, the behaviors form the basis of AvePoint’s leadership assessments, which give AvePointers a way to evaluate how their managers are performing against these key behaviors.

Managers at all levels are assessed based on these behaviors, ensuring a clear alignment between leadership behavior and AvePoint’s cultural expectations. “This isn’t just a checklist item,” Stuart says. “It’s the foundation of how we assess and develop our talent, from entry-level managers to senior leadership.”

Cultural Alignment for Success

At AvePoint, cultural alignment isn’t just about business success — it’s about individual fulfillment. Stuart describes it as a “win-win” scenario, where both the company and the employee benefit when there’s a strong cultural fit. “We’re looking for people who not only have the right skills but also share our values and approach to leadership,” Stuart adds.

For candidates, this means asking themselves important questions: Do the leadership behaviors at AvePoint resonate with me? Is this the kind of environment where I can thrive? For Stuart, it’s essential that both the company and the candidate are aligned in their vision of success. “When there’s a good cultural fit, that’s when people really thrive,” he notes.

Thriving at AvePoint

One of the most stress-inducing questions employees ask themselves is, “What do my managers truly want from me?” While many have established goals and key performance indicators (KPIs), Stuart notes that this question goes much deeper than KPIs. He believes the leadership behaviors offer a clear answer to that question. “These behaviors set the expectation of what good looks like at AvePoint,” he says. 

“Whether you’re managing a project, a process, or a team, everyone at AvePoint is leading something. That’s why these behaviors apply to everyone — not just those with formal management titles.”

Explicitly extending these behaviors to everyone aligns with our Employee Value Proposition, “Unleash the power of you,” ensuring that all AvePointers feel empowered and confident in their roles as well as take ownership of their work and growth. “We want people to feel confident that they’re meeting the mark — not just in terms of KPIs but in how they’re approaching their work as leaders,” Stuart explains.

Looking to the Future

While the leadership behaviors have already made a significant impact at AvePoint, Stuart is open to evolving them as the company grows. “I’m not saying we’ve perfected this yet,” he admits. “If we find we’re missing something, we’ll be open to reshaping it.” For now, though, the focus is on making these behaviors a part of AvePoint’s leadership DNA.

Long-term, AvePoint plans to continue refining its talent management strategies with a strong focus on community development. “We want to create cohorts of leaders who can support each other as they move through different stages of their careers,” Stuart says. “It’s not just about skill development — it’s about building a leadership community.”

AvePoint’s leadership behaviors are more than just words — they’re a living framework that guides how we hire, manage, and grow talent. For candidates considering a role at AvePoint, it’s an invitation to reflect on whether our culture and approach to leadership align with your own values. For current AvePointers, it’s a roadmap for thriving in a company that values ownership, authenticity, and personal growth. As Stuart Robertson puts it, “Our goal is to unleash the power of you — because when you thrive, AvePoint thrives.”

To learn more about our leadership behaviors and award-winning culture at AvePoint, visit our Careers website.