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GoDaddy CEO Aman Bhutani recalls advice from Uber CEO that changed his approach to learning and leadership
Aman Bhutani said that Dara Khosrowshahi's advice encouraged him to reconsider his reluctance to speak up about subjects outside his area of expertise.
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GoDaddy CEO Aman Bhutani has recalled a piece of advice from his former boss, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, that changed his approach to learning, making mistakes and speaking up at work.
Bhutani shared the anecdote in a video posted by Business Insider, recalling a conversation with Khosrowshahi when both were at Expedia. Bhutani was responsible for technology for the Expedia brand, while Khosrowshahi was the company’s CEO.
Bhutani said that he was once asked a question about marketing but hesitated to speak up during a leadership team meeting because he felt others in the room had considerably more experience and expertise than him. Khosrowshahi subsequently asked Bhutani why he did not contribute to discussions about marketing, given how important the function was to the company.
When Bhutani explained that he had no actual experience in marketing, Khosrowshahi responded with advice that stayed with him.
“If you don’t talk about it, you never will. If you don’t talk and make mistakes and say the wrong things and get beat up by the CMO, how are you going to learn? You can’t be afraid to be wrong,” Khosrowshahi told Bhutani.
Bhutani said that the advice encouraged him to reconsider his reluctance to speak up about subjects outside his area of expertise. He said that learning something new, even at the risk of making mistakes, keeps him young, happy and engaged.
“I enjoy the idea that I’m learning something new. It keeps me young, it keeps me happy, and it keeps me engaged,” Bhutani said.
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Dara Khosrowshahi on Uber's workplace culture
Khosrowshahi led Expedia from 2005 to 2017 before taking over as Uber CEO in August 2017. He joined the ride-hailing company at a challenging time and has since overseen changes to its business strategy and workplace culture.
In a recent interview cited by Fortune, Khosrowshahi described Uber’s workplace culture as demanding, saying employees are expected to maintain a high level of responsiveness even over weekends. He also warned prospective employees against joining the company if they are seeking a relaxed work-life balance.
Khosrowshahi said the demanding culture was part of his efforts to transform Uber after he took over as CEO in 2017. At the time, the company was losing between $2.5 billion and $3 billion annually, he said.
Under his leadership, Uber changed its strategy and work culture as it sought to improve its financial performance. And the approach paid off. According to Khosrowshahi, the company generated $9.8 billion in free cash flow last year, which he cited as evidence that the company’s demanding culture is delivering results.
