In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, host Bill Lennan speaks with Jill Willard, Chief Technology Officer at IXOPAY, about her leadership journey and how she empowers software and payments teams to build trust, embrace failure, and drive innovation. Jill draws from over two decades of experience leading global software and payment platform teams, offering insights on situational leadership, accountability, effective communication, and building a thriving work culture that encourages psychological safety and experimentation in engineering environments. ixopay.com Whether you’re a tech leader, engineering manager, or aspiring CTO, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways to help you become a more effective and inspiring leader.
🎯 Key Takeaways Jill’s leadership journey began with a desire for control Transitioning from small to larger teams requires evolving leadership skills Building trust is essential for high-performing software teams Failure is a natural part of engineering and growth Leaders must give teams permission to take risks and learn Accountability should be shared between leaders and team members Situational leadership supports individuals at their level Effective communication drives healthy team dynamics Innovation thrives in environments that are engaging and fun Self-awareness is a critical skill for leaders 🎙️ Memorable Sound Bites “Failure is built in.” “You can’t scale that way.” “Confidence is contagious.”
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#40PercentBetter #BillLennan #Leadership #TeamPerformance #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #Kaizen #EngineeringLeadership #Coaching The 40% Better podcast with Bill Lennan unlocks previously unheard-of performance levels in teams and leaders. Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, interviews experts on employee engagement, psychological safety, engineering leadership, and actionable mental models. Learn how to foster high-performing teams, improve team productivity, and achieve sustainable success in business through a focus on human-centered systems.