Disruptive Innovators: Champions of Digital Business - CIO & IT Leader Interviews, Digital Transformation, Digital Innovation

Overcoming Fear To Unlock Growth and Success with Cheryl Johnson of Betterworks

Disruptive Innovators: Champions of Digital Business - CIO & IT Leader Interviews, Digital Transformation, Digital Innovation

Show Notes

Cheryl Johnson, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Betterworks, joins David Wright to share her career journey and leadership lessons. Cheryl discusses embracing challenges, staying grounded and creating human-centered work cultures. She also shares pivotal career moments, including overcoming burnout, navigating startups and driving innovation with AI.

Key Takeaways:

(03:53) The value of showing up authentically as a leader. (09:40) Leaning into fear creates growth opportunities. (16:32) You don’t have to be ready, just courageous. (23:36) Recovery from burnout requires prioritizing health and mindfulness. (30:42) Humility is key to leadership; no one is a “perfect leader.” (37:15) Building consumer-level ease of use in enterprise tech is essential. (44:47) AI must enhance human work without replacing accountability. (50:08) AI tools can level expectations and unlock innovation. (52:27) Trusting yourself is key to overcoming imposter syndrome.

Resources Mentioned:

Cheryl Johnson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylporro/

Betterworks LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/betterworks/

Betterworks | Website - https://www.betterworks.com/

“The Hard Thing About Hard Things” by Ben Horowitz - https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205

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