Why Does Hannah Willson Say Trust Matters More Than Looking Perfect?

Hannah Willson says the executive job is building trust. She had heard that brains are not wired to believe perfection, so a leader who calls everything perfect makes people doubt them. Admitting what is not perfect is what creates trust, with a team or with a customer. She saw that in Fred, CEO of Rainforest QA: the more open he is with the board about the last quarter, the better the meeting goes, and the worst meetings are the ones that pretend the company is flawless. With her own team she tries to know people's lives and still give clear expectations and hard feedback. Relate more, she says, and you can push harder.