Why This CEO Demands Criticism From Her Team

Want your team to actually tell you the truth? In the Army, Roxanne Petraeus watched senior officers announce an open-door policy and then act like the door was shut. So she stopped trusting what leaders say and started trusting only what they do. ***"I only believed what I saw."*** Today, Roxanne is the co-founder and CEO of Ethena, and she runs the company on the opposite of what she saw back then: never say a thing you aren't willing to back with action. We get into how that one commitment builds a culture people actually believe — and who owns it when the CEO and the head of people disagree. *(If you’ve ever experienced the frustration of working with a “do what I say, not what I do” leader — or you don’t want to become one yourself — this episode is for you.)* 👀 **Here's what you get in today's edition of the Culture Creators:** - The weekly ritual that makes her team comfortable telling the CEO exactly what she got wrong - The one-sentence test that reveals what your culture actually is, no matter what your posters say - The reframe that turns a CEO's "not now" into budget for your next HR initiative **TIMESTAMPS** 00:00 The CEO–people leader relationship 02:00 Why hiring is everything 05:00 "Maybe is not our standard" 08:15 Hiring against your values 11:15 Making every employee AI-native 14:30 Building a cult-like culture 17:00 Athlete hires & embracing feedback 23:00 Leading with "it's my fault" 26:00 Disagree, commit, back your people 32:45 Compliance is culture with documentation 44:15 Feedback Fridays 54:15 Walking the talk