Early on, people mistook my intensity for aggression. That feedback reshaped how I lead, though it never lowered my conviction. A team can’t follow someone who won’t commit to a position. So, I take the position and say it plainly. Then I ask who sees it differently, and I mean it. I’ve been wrong in front of my team more than once and saying so cost me nothing. What costs you is defending a call everyone in the room already knows is bad. If nobody pushes back, I haven’t built the right room.
Trent Cotton, ICIMS
As quoted in "38 leaders on balancing confidence with humility," by the FAST COMPANY EXECUTIVE BOARD. Fast Company. October 19, 2026
