Fear-Based CEOs Versus Trust-Based Leaders: Who Actually Wins?

Almost half of employees hide their AI use from managers out of fear of seeming incompetent or lazy, according to a Slack survey. In this video, MIT SMR columnist Brian Elliott explores how tough-talking CEOs are impeding AI adoption, return-to-office compliance, and talent retention. Drawing from recent research, he explains why companies with strong trust-based leadership deliver 11-times better performance than lower-ranked peers, and highlights the value of being both demanding and supportive.

Timestamps:

‍0:40 - Why CEOs weaponize AI fear

‍1:50 - Half of us hide our AI use

‍2:52 - Zapier’s trust-based approach

‍3:30 - Do founders need to be tough?

‍4:44 - Microsoft’s lost decade under Ballmer

‍5:40 - The return of “rank and yank”

‍7:30 - Why top talent leaves

‍8:58 - CEO-driven RTO demands

‍13:15 - Building trust through reliability

‍13:56 - How trust affects top performers

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