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A good graphical user interface, or “GUI,” is computer code that makes our devices and apps more relatable. So it shouldn’t shock you that the best leaders have the same quality: they work hard to relate positively with — and so bring out the best in — others.

That’s why you can think of good leaders as having a kind of excellent “HUI” — human user interface.

Clearly, when people’s experiences interacting with a leader are negative, the leader’s going to be less effective than she or he could be — after all, whenever others must spend extra time and energy adapting to a leader’s problematic HUI, they won’t be bringing their best.

Consider leaders people admire greatly. Think of Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King, Jr., for example. They had amazing HUIs. They knew their impact was inspiring, authentic, and compelling, and their leadership was extraordinary.