We are often taught to avoid questioning the status quo, stay in our lane, and go with the flow. However, leaving this comfort zone is crucial to encourage open communication and constructive discussions. As the CMO at Hostinger, I’ve experienced this many times and can confidently say that being courageous and candid empowers us to achieve more.
Courage pays off
No major achievement in human history could have been accomplished without sufficient courage. The same principle applies to personal or company success – courage is essential for making bold moves, taking action, and moving forward.
Courage is particularly indispensable in communication, and it would be a shame not to use it to its fullest potential. Asking questions enriches us, opens up new perspectives, and helps us grasp new contexts and ideas. Yet, many people choose to remain silent, especially when in the same room with a team leader, superior, CEO, or anyone with more experience in the organization. This shows a lack of courage, which we should nurture in ourselves and inspire in others.
There are no wrong questions
Being candid isn’t always easy, especially when talented and intelligent people surround you – that’s when your confidence might waver a bit. But you must understand that you’re among this talent for a reason and ask yourself – what’s the worst thing that can happen if I ask a question, propose an idea, or challenge someone?
The outcome is almost always positive. At the very least, you will gain more context, understand things better, or spark a productive discussion – and you might even be commended for showing initiative. Your input could lead your team or the entire organization to reconsider certain ideas, make improvements, and achieve better results and more ambitious goals.
So, there’s no reason to hold back or stay silent.
Feedback facilitates growth
Courage and candor are crucial when it comes to giving honest feedback. It can be challenging, but it’s essential for the growth of both the organization and its employees. We need to learn how to give and receive honest feedback by viewing it as a tool for growth rather than as criticism meant to hurt or discourage. During my career at Hostinger, I’ve had many experiences with both giving and receiving feedback.
Not all feedback is easy to accept, and some of it has led me to change my approach. I recall a particularly memorable experience during a flight back to Lithuania from Thailand. I had the longest one-on-one conversation – around 11 hours – with Giedrius Zakaitis, the Chief Product and Technology Officer at Hostinger. We covered many topics, but one piece of advice stood out and was super important to me.
I was about to run the entire marketing department of 200 people. Giedrius suggested that I encourage others to speak their minds more, be more patient, avoid jumping in with immediate solutions, and sometimes take a backseat. In short, it means becoming a quiet leader. This was especially significant for me, as someone who often rushed to fill silences in team meetings with my own ideas and directions. His advice was pivotal in helping me grow as both a professional and a leader.
This example highlights the importance of candid feedback and the value of being open to it, even when it is challenging to hear.
Being good at feedback is a crucial skill
Giving effective feedback is a skill that needs to be developed. Knowing how to provide constructive feedback properly is essential for making a meaningful impact at every level of the organization. It’s important to remain unbiased and try to understand the other person’s context and perspective. Feedback is a form of communication, a discussion that must lead to positive outcomes. Whenever I’m giving feedback, I try to support my argument with concrete examples or data and expect the same when I am on the receiving end.
For feedback to be truly productive, it’s crucial to have aligned expectations between team leads and their direct reports. This helps avoid misunderstandings and misinterpretations. It also must be noted that feedback should go both ways – from managers to their teams and back up from team members to their leaders. This empowers employees and fosters improvement at all levels of the organization.
It all starts with the right culture
Fostering a culture that encourages frank conversations and honest feedback is essential for any organization. Such a culture must be based on transparency. At Hostinger, we strive to cultivate this environment from the very beginning – starting with the hiring process, where we introduce our principles to candidates. The next step is onboarding, where newcomers get a deeper understanding of our organization. It’s no coincidence that Radical Candor is on our recommended onboarding reading list.
We also use valuable tools to promote courage and candidness. For instance, we use a dotting tool to facilitate quick feedback after any action is taken. Self-reflection tools like Peak Performance Pulse (PPP) help to align expectations and enable honest and constructive feedback. As a result, a manager and their direct report understand how they see each other and what areas for improvement they identify.
A good habit to nurture
I’ve noticed that people at Hostinger are eager to lead by example. Many employees truly believe in our principles and strive to embody them, inspiring their colleagues to do the same. This may be because we hire high performers who already understand the value of being proactive and courageous in their approach.
The courage and candidness principle isn’t something that can be learned only theoretically – it must be practiced. In my experience, the more you strive to be courageous and candid, the easier it becomes. It’s like developing a good habit that helps both you and the organization improve and aim higher.
I truly believe that much of our success at Hostinger comes from our commitment to being courageous and candid. We don’t shy away from acknowledging what isn’t working. Instead, we bravely take all opportunities, testing things out and experimenting without fear. The more people embrace this principle, the more we will succeed – both as professionals and as an organization.
Kristina is the Chief Marketing Officer at Hostinger, driving brand growth through innovative, data-driven marketing strategies. She focuses on rapid user acquisition and sustainable market expansion. Passionate about people development, Kristina inspires a customer-first marketing team and fosters a positive, growth-oriented culture.
