The life-changing leadership advice Uber's CEO gave GoDaddy's CEO

Aman Bhutani (left) said Dara Khosrowshahi gave him career advice that changed his career.

WEF/Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images GoDaddy's CEO said Dara Khosrowshahi once gave him career advice that changed his leadership.

Aman Bhutani said Khosrowshahi told him he'd never gain ad experience if he didn't start speaking up about it.

The advice prompted Bhutani to push through the discomfort of learning new functions.

Getting a seat at the leadership table is a challenge in itself — but speaking up confidently once you get there is a different beast.

Aman Bhutani, CEO of the domain registrar and web-hosting company GoDaddy, said he received advice on navigating those moments from Uber's current CEO Dara Khosrowshahi , who at the time led Expedia and served as president of the brand.

Bhutani was then the company's head of technology, and reported to Khosrowshahi.

Khosrowshahi gave him a chance to discuss advertising in a senior-level meeting they were both attending.

While Bhutani was initially excited about the opportunity, he said that eagerness didn't come through.

"Sitting in this room of leaders, where there were people that had way more experience and expertise than I did, I didn't speak up," Bhutani told Business Insider.

Bhutani said he regularly spoke up in meetings about product, engineering, and other areas where he felt confident about.

However, while advertising was a core interest, he hesitated to weigh in.

After several meetings, Khosrowshahi pulled Bhutani aside and gave him feedback that the GoDaddy CEO said changed his career.

Khosrowshahi asked why Bhutani didn't share his perspective on functional marketing, since the topic was so critical for the business.