The Art of Building Trust and Embracing Failure | Jill Willard

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.comWhether 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 TakeawaysJill’s leadership journey began with a desire for controlTransitioning from small to larger teams requires evolving leadership skillsBuilding trust is essential for high-performing software teamsFailure is a natural part of engineering and growthLeaders must give teams permission to take risks and learnAccountability should be shared between leaders and team membersSituational leadership supports individuals at their levelEffective communication drives healthy team dynamicsInnovation thrives in environments that are engaging and funSelf-awareness is a critical skill for leaders🎙️ Memorable Sound Bites“Failure is built in.”“You can’t scale that way.”“Confidence is contagious.”I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Bill and the 40 % Better podcast teamConnect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wblennan/ Visit the 40 Percent Better website here: https://40pb.com/Listen to 40 % Better on these podcast platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01ad162e-7a33-4df4-8c29-04c4af0405fc/40-better---engineering-leadership#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.