“Yes” Can Be More Dangerous Than “No”
Everyone wants to be liked and respected. Often Leaders fulfill these desires by surrounding themselves with people who are like us, who like us, and avoid people who cause of trouble and disagree with us. However, there is a danger in only surrounding ourselves with like-minded people.
No one likes to be told “no”. Nothing can take the wind out of my sail like the word “no”. However, “yes” can be more dangerous.
When every idea we have is unanimously approved and pushed through we won’t know what to do when we hear “no”. We will think that we are entitled to a “yes” at all times. When we hear someone say “no” to an idea we’ve had, it can cause us to become dismissive of their concerns. Rather than listening to their reasoning, we will be tempted to pout and complain.
As a leader “no” can be hard to hear but often we need to hear it. We need to be slowed down. We need to see our idea from a different angle. This is exactly why you need them on your team. You need to make every effort to have people who are different than you on your team. People who are different from you will see differently than you. Risk inviting them to say “no” to you gives you opportunity to grow as a leader. The brave team members who ask questions and say “no” aren’t ignorant they just see differently than you. If they are so ignorant, why are they on your team?
We need to make a conscious effort to invite people who are different from us into our inner circle. As John Maxwell once said, “It is legitimate for someone to be not just like me.” Allow these people to help slow you down for the sake of progress. Just like driving on a mountain road. If you don’t slow down you won’t ever make it to your destination. What efforts are you making to build trust within your team? What efforts are you making to build diversity within you team? As leaders, we need to be willing to hear “no”, even if it hurts.
Name: Robby
Title: Director
Industry: Non-Profit
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Photo by Renee Fisher on Unsplash
