Don’t get attracted to titles. Remember the human algorithm. Be vulnerable. And stay flexible.
These were some of the tidbits of advice shared by Seattle-area tech leaders who have decades of experience at corporate giants and fledgling startups.
The tips apply to people leading a company or a team or just anyone working on self-improvement in the workplace. We’ve compiled the key takeaways from the discussion, hosted by the Harvard Business School Club of Seattle last week.
Normalize imposter syndrome
Sometimes leaders may feel like they aren’t worthy of their power or proven abilities. They’re certainly not alone.
“If you’re a startup founder or CEO, it’s hard and it’s scary and you will have self-doubt — and that is okay,” said Dave Cotter, a longtime product leader who sold a startup to Nordstrom.
Imposter syndrome exists “throughout the whole journey,” said Matt Oppenheimer, CEO of digital remittance company Remitly. He used to think that when his board met without executives in the room, they were talking about firing him.
“That was not the case,” Oppenheimer said. “I think they were talking about the weather or something.”
Oppenheimer, who co-founded Remitly in 2011, said he’s taken an intentional approach to self-improvement by having a “360” performance review each year and crafting a development plan that is shared with his entire company. “It’s been super important for me,” he said.
Expedia CTO Rathi Murthy struggled with self-confidence earlier in her career. Promoting herself wasn’t part of the culture she grew up with. It’s a skill she had to nurture in part through honest conversations with mentors who helped her build that confidence and provided encouragement and support.
Cotter said it’s important to have mentors or peers that know you well and can combat the “inner voice” that creeps into your head and sparks imposter syndrome.
“It is very important that you surround yourself with people who see you as you are,” he said. “They can be a counter as you learn skills to talk to yourself in a kinder voice.”
Building trust
Beverly Anderson joined BECU as CEO just over a year ago and had to quickly establish a level of trust between herself and her employees.
“The relationship between the CEO and the team is just as critical as any relationship you will have with another person,” Anderson said.
She focused on building an engagement model that allowed her to listen to the needs of her team and what she could do to help, and to make sure she was completely aligned with the mission of the organization.
The other key aspect was being vulnerable.
“I wasn’t from Seattle. I had never worked at a credit union,” Anderson said. “So the team understanding who I am was very, very important.”
Oppenheimer said Remitly leaders always explain the “why” — especially for decisions that people don’t agree with.
“Even if they might not agree with the decision, if they feel like you’re being authentic and they understand the ‘why,’ then I think it’s easier to maintain trust,” he said.
When employees react poorly to bad news or a decision, Cotter said it’s important that leaders don’t misinterpret that as mistrust.
“Trust yourself and be confident and empathetic and authentic — and you will have the trust of your organization,” he said. “Those people who disagree with you in the near term will actually respect you in the long term.”
Learn to co-create
Anthony Diamond, new ventures lead at Seattle-based startup studio Pioneer Square Labs, said he often has a very specific vision of how he wants something to unfold — and he’s learning to how best to co-create as other ideas or opportunities arise along the process.
“Being flexible, staying flexible — that’s something I’m working on,” he said.
You don’t need to be an expert at everything
Some leaders may feel pressure to build up a huge amount of expertise before trying to get promoted or taking on a new project.
“That’s so limiting,” Murthy said.
Murthy, who has helped lead a technology restructuring at Expedia, said it can be more fulfilling to relax and give yourself freedom to try new challenges and learn as you go.
“Leadership is earned and accumulated through a series of actions.”
“You’re growing and you’re growing others along with you,” she said.
Forget about titles
Don’t get too enamored with a “CEO” or similar job title, Cotter said. “The title actually kind of doesn’t mean shit,” he said. “Leadership is earned and accumulated through a series of actions.”
Murthy said she’s never been attracted to titles — and was criticized for that approach. “Many of us women are taught that if you don’t ask, you don’t get,” she said. “But it’s kind of limiting when you set your star on something, because you probably don’t even know what it entails.”
Instead, Murthy advised to follow your heart and passion and have a lot of fun.
“Do that for you, do that for your team — and inevitably you’ll get to the title,” she said.
Remember the human algorithm
It can be easy to get caught up in spreadsheets and software platforms and revenue models — and forget about what might be the most important factor to success.
“In many instances, the reason a startup can’t scale is because they haven’t invested enough time in the human algorithm,” said Cotter, who recently launched a startup advisory firm.
As a leader, it’s your job to figure out the best way for employees to get along and communicate and show up for each other as teammates.
“The technology will take care of itself if you hire the right people,” Cotter said. “But as the leader, you are the one responsible for cultivating the environment.”
