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> We worked with Lisa for 2 years and we produced our biggest successes with her. So, being honest paid off for her? Most successful CEOs are very open about

> We worked with Lisa for 2 years and we produced our biggest successes with her. So, being honest paid off for her? Most successful CEOs are very open about everything, and don't keep secrets. Secrets and opacity are what destroy companies and relationships, not the reverse.

lkrubner 9y ago
Maybe it was her focus on her fears that was an issue? If she'd simply said, "This project is really ambitious" then maybe everyone would have agreed? It is possible to be honest about the risks of a given strategy, without turning the conversation into a discussion of your personal fears and discomforts, yes?
- hartator 9y ago
  I don't think I agree. Being fearful about specifics - she was talking about making sure servers don't lag, loads, etc. - is actually a green flag when hiring. It applies to CEOs too. I remember reading - can't find it back sorry - a ML study that shows a reverse correlation about how optimistic a CEO appears in the video of quarterly meeting and stock performance.
  - greenrd 9y ago
    You don't generally hire your CEO - and if, contrary to all precedent, you were hiring the CEO, you'd probably want someone who could speak convincingly and confidently to the media and investors, while speaking authoritatively, firmly and confidently to employees. That could make the difference between a startup running out of money or succeeding.
trgv 9y ago
> So, being honest paid off for her? The article describes how her openness almost cost her the job offer. In the author's opinion, she made a mistake by being open about her insecurities in a job interview. I've worked with people who are probably too open about their insecurities. I think you can be open about what you don't know without saying things like "I don't know if I can do this job." Frankly, I don't really know how to respond to that kind of statement in a professional setting beyond resorting to platitudes. I think there are better ways to talk about your insecurities, like saying "I have experience with X, but I haven't worked with Y, and I know I'll need to figure Y out for this role." That seems okay to me. Knowing what you don't know is really important. > Most successful CEOs are very open about everything, and don't keep secrets. Secrets and opacity are what destroy companies and relationships, not the reverse. Everyone has a private interior life. Everyone feels things and thinks things that they don't voice publicly.
- hartator 9y ago
  I don’t know. It might be just me, but when hiring, I fall for honesty. Corporate talk fools no one.
  - greenrd 9y ago
    Funny, I got where I am today by speaking in the manner I was being spoken to in interviews. They seem corporate - I speak corporate. They seem informal - I speak real. It works for me.

lkrubner 9y ago

Maybe it was her focus on her fears that was an issue? If she'd simply said, "This project is really ambitious" then maybe everyone would have agreed? It is possible to be honest about the risks of a given strategy, without turning the conversation into a discussion of your personal fears and discomforts, yes?

hartator 9y ago
I don't think I agree. Being fearful about specifics - she was talking about making sure servers don't lag, loads, etc. - is actually a green flag when hiring. It applies to CEOs too. I remember reading - can't find it back sorry - a ML study that shows a reverse correlation about how optimistic a CEO appears in the video of quarterly meeting and stock performance.
- greenrd 9y ago
  You don't generally hire your CEO - and if, contrary to all precedent, you were hiring the CEO, you'd probably want someone who could speak convincingly and confidently to the media and investors, while speaking authoritatively, firmly and confidently to employees. That could make the difference between a startup running out of money or succeeding.

trgv 9y ago

> So, being honest paid off for her? The article describes how her openness almost cost her the job offer. In the author's opinion, she made a mistake by being open about her insecurities in a job interview. I've worked with people who are probably too open about their insecurities. I think you can be open about what you don't know without saying things like "I don't know if I can do this job." Frankly, I don't really know how to respond to that kind of statement in a professional setting beyond resorting to platitudes. I think there are better ways to talk about your insecurities, like saying "I have experience with X, but I haven't worked with Y, and I know I'll need to figure Y out for this role." That seems okay to me. Knowing what you don't know is really important. > Most successful CEOs are very open about everything, and don't keep secrets. Secrets and opacity are what destroy companies and relationships, not the reverse. Everyone has a private interior life. Everyone feels things and thinks things that they don't voice publicly.

hartator 9y ago
I don’t know. It might be just me, but when hiring, I fall for honesty. Corporate talk fools no one.
- greenrd 9y ago
  Funny, I got where I am today by speaking in the manner I was being spoken to in interviews. They seem corporate - I speak corporate. They seem informal - I speak real. It works for me.