"The truth will set you free, but first, it will make you miserable." — James A. Garfield
Remember the last time you had a healthy debate? You know, the type of situation where you went into a meeting with your opinion about the direction the product or business should take and came out of the discussion with conviction for someone else’s idea (or opinion)? Is this type of outcome the exception or the rule at your startup? If no one on your team is speaking up, sharing honest feedback, or — dare we say it — pushing back during the conversations that matter most to the longevity of your business, it’s time to pump the breaks hard.
What's going on?
Chances are, you started your founder journey with aspirations about the culture you wanted to create. You told yourself that you’d build differently. At your startup, there’d be space for others to share perspective and provide honest feedback. You wanted to tell the truth and hear the truth. But under the pressure test of time and the current macro conditions, you notice that truth-seeking isn’t always happening at your startup. Maybe it’s you, the founder, who is not looking for truth. Perhaps the early leaders on your team are fantastic functional builders, but when debate matters most, things tend to get quiet. In the moment, this path may seem harmless — in fact, the lack of friction may seem “perfect” — as it lulls you and your team into a state of comfort. But the reality? A lack of ongoing, healthy friction and discomfort isn’t surfacing the truth you or your team needs to achieve optimal results. Before you know it, you’re left with a team of conflict evaders afraid to speak up or debate difficult topics. Now is the time to get intentional about the attributes that matter most to the vitality of your startup.
Why does it matter?
Retrofitting brutal honesty into your team's culture is almost impossible if you have not hired for, and reinforced, truth-telling behaviors in the first place. Crafting a culture steeped in truth, unvarnished feedback, and invigorating friction means you need a sharp focus on identifying, clarifying, and substantiating the non-negotiable attributes that your leaders must possess. This is the linchpin to ensuring new additions to the team will not only uphold but also amplify the crucial values and behaviors. Authenticating a candidate’s capacity for blunt honesty without veering into abrasiveness is an art and a commitment. It demands a melding of curiosity and patience. Dig deep from various vantage points to gauge the true mettle of these attributes and how they’re likely to manifest in everyday scenarios. Failing to do this legwork could land you a leader high on rhetoric but low on substance — one who falters in delivering the unvarnished truth when the stakes are high.
What do others think?
"In the early days, what's required is brutal honesty about the product. An engineering leader who looks at their software creation like a newborn child or a sales leader who only brings good news won't help you with market fit. Tense interactions between sales and engineering — where all the cards are laid on the table — are the superpower of a startup. That's where the magic happens and, when it’s embedded into the company culture, it is the route to greatness." — Jeremy Burton, CEO at Observe
What do we think?
Jeremy is right. Truth is a superpower. Surround yourself with leaders who will push your team beyond the status quo. But you can only hire these leaders if you really want the truth and go after this truth-telling gene with intention and accountability. Resist the urge to make tradeoffs or settle for anything that will undermine your hiring bar on this vector.
What do YOU think?
Take Action
Look in the mirror: Are you sabotaging your own culture? Are you the one who doesn’t want to hear the truth? Do you get defensive or push back when your team or customers tell you, “Hey, this baby is ugly.” Start with being completely honest with yourself. Ask others to grade you on your listening skills. If you cannot handle the truth, stop here before proceeding. Do some internal work with yourself; consider hiring a coach to help you.
Promote openness: Lead by example, valuing open communication, respectful debate, and a culture that sees disagreements as opportunities for growth.
Define leadership attributes: Highlight core attributes such as truth-seeking, courage, openness, and willingness to challenge norms. Use these attributes to guide hiring and accountability processes.
Validate attributes: During interviews, ask for specific examples of handling disagreements and encouraging dialogue. If responses are inadequate, keep probing.
Balance shared goals and diversity: While hiring assertive leaders, ensure alignment on overarching company goals, allowing for diverse paths to reach them.
Conduct working sessions: Use real-life business scenarios in sessions with potential leaders to gauge mutual compatibility.
Use references: Confirm a candidate's capabilities via references, focusing on their handling of disagreement, openness to differing perspectives, and conflict management.
Define goals: Clearly outline company objectives for all to understand and strive toward.
A great read for all truth seeking founders and their teams