CEOs don’t know it all (but that’s not a bad thing)

In the early years of building my company, I believed we were so far ahead in the cybersecurity market that no other company offered real competition.

But during a meeting, a team member challenged me. He argued that we had competition — that’s endemic in every industrial sector — and would only gain more in the coming years, so we needed to be prepared.

I felt stung at first but quickly realized I’d been telling myself an untrue story. And, that line of magical thinking could eventually have significantly impacted the company’s growth.

I needed a dose of reality, and even though it probably wasn’t easy for him to so openly disagree with the CEO, that team member gave me one.

And with that, I learned a critical lesson that I’ve carried ever since, one that I’d encourage every executive or employee at every level to take to heart.

I want my team to challenge me.

Beyond a collaborative culture

To be sure, I’m no different from any other company leader in that I want and value people who support my vision and strategy. I’m proud of the blood, sweat and tears I’ve shed in my journey as CEO. And I don’t think just anyone has the knowledge and experience to do this job.

And yet, I still don’t know everything. Far from it. That’s why, in my tenth year as a CEO, I’m focused on one of my strongest personal priorities: To make sure every employee, no matter what level or years of experience, feels empowered to give their points of view on what they believe is best for the company.

That’s not just because fostering a collaborative culture is nice (although it is). It simply makes hard-core business sense that encouraging open dialogue and a sense of safety in challenging ideas leads to better decision-making and innovation.

Here’s what no CEO should want: They attend a meeting, and everyone just agrees with what they say. Sure, that would be comfortable and easy. The CEO doesn’t feel the team is questioning their leadership. The others are relieved the boss isn’t angry at them.

It’s an easy trap to fall into because humans naturally tend to avoid conflict and find the simplest, easiest resolutions to any problem.

Desire for comfort holds us back

Science shows that our desire for comfort actually could be holding us back when it comes to personal and professional growth.

In fact, one study out of Cornell and the University of Chicago found that “people who aimed to be uncomfortable were more engaged in their activities, felt more motivated to keep doing them and believed they made more progress toward their goals compared to those who weren’t seeking out this kind of vulnerability.”

That’s why in the most vibrant companies, employees feel comfortable stepping outside their comfort zones. They feel good about expressing ideas, even ones that go against the grain if they think the company will benefit.

As a CEO, I want to hear all points of view about my company’s direction, strategies, products and resource management, even if I’d thought the answers were clear. People must always feel safe saying the unsaid, and I must be okay with hearing it.

I expect that people will bring their ideas to the table, discuss them passionately, and, ultimately, we’ll work out the answers.

After all, it is within that healthy friction where progress and innovation happen. 

As Robert Stone, chief people officer at global advertising giant Wunderman Thompson has said, such an environment is “100%” good for company growth.

“It’s completely normal and healthy to not agree on everything, and I believe that it’s actually one of the key components to a high performing team,” he said. “When you don’t have an open and honest culture that allows people to speak up, then you create an environment where disagreements actually become an issue.”

So, I always press our team: What do you really think? This not only empowers them, it keeps my own brain in check from sloping down to that natural human state of seeking out the simplest paths.

I urge leaders at all levels to take the same approach. Trust me: They, their employees and their companies, will be better off for it.

Bipul Sinha is CEO and cofounder of zero trust data security company Rubrik.

Originally appeared on: TheSpuzz