I am always troubled by leaders who can’t handle dissent or different points of view from their own. No leader has all the answers, nor should they be expected to. As you grow an organization, you will find you need to rely on people more, not less. Weak leaders want to employ “yes” men or women. They shroud their own insecurities or misplaced ego by only tolerating what they want to hear from others.
Of course, not all dissent is good. Some people criticize for the sake of it. Others may have motivations that aren’t in the best interest of the organization. The ability to dissent is something you earn. It is also something that should be based on more than just strong opinions. Behind it, there should be some level of expertise and/or well-thought-out arguments.
In my twenty-plus years of advising leaders, I have noticed the following five benefits of encouraging dissent in your leadership discussions:
First, as a leader, it keeps your ego in check. It’s too easy for a leader to create a bubble around themselves. Especially as the organization attains some level of success, many “under pressure” leaders don’t like to be second-guessed. If you’re not careful, you may start to think that your decisions and actions are bulletproof. And, when you start thinking this way, you are doomed. I’ve yet to see a leader with a perfect track record. Confidence is a good thing; arrogance is not. “Pride does cometh before the fall.”
Second, it focuses the leader (and leadership team) to reflect on their decisions and actions more vigorously. I get a bit nervous when I sit in on a leadership meeting and there is unanimous agreement without any discussion or debate. If you are always agreeing, you’re not really thinking. Moreover, asking for feedback and receiving none in return may be symptomatic of something else. Business leadership is rarely easy, even under the best of circumstances. There are many moving pieces inside and outside the organization; a lot can go wrong. You will be surrounded by traps of your own making if you’re not careful. Ensuring heterogeneous thinking before you act is always advisable.
Third, dissent always has a different meaning. It’s fascinating how people working closely together can see the world differently. We all have blind spots. We also have different life experiences and worldviews. Everyone views the world through slightly different lenses. It’s nice to be in a room with people who can see the error of your thinking before you can. Responsibly managed discussions that encourage differences of opinion often lead to increases in creativity and better problem-solving.
Fourth, an organization naturally creates a safer, more open environment when it encourages a reasonable amount of dissent. If your employees feel that you genuinely care about what they have to say and will consider it seriously, they will feel more comfortable speaking up when it is sorely needed, rather than looking the other way and allowing bad things to happen. There will be less finger-pointing as well. People don’t always need to get their way, but they do need to feel heard.
Finally, dissent surfaces what is happening privately anyway. People tend to criticize rather than support someone else’s ideas. Usually, we lack the courage to do this in public. It’s because we need some time to adjust to the added information before accepting it. I’d rather see my clients surface these conversations as soon as possible than avoid or ignore them.
Too much of anything is never a good thing, and that also goes for dissent. All dissenters aren’t created equal. You already know which employees have the right intentions and which do not. Individuals who disagree for the right reasons are a priceless asset in any organization. Why you still employ the latter is the subject of another blog. In addition, sometimes you must get past personality conflicts between two individuals who, for whatever reason, can never see things the same way. When they consider the ideas or opinions of others, they tend to react negatively immediately. I encourage you to address this issue directly and to work it out in a professional manner. And, don’t get too much joy from playing them off one another and thinking this is a leadership masterstroke—it’s not, especially when practiced by amateurs.
The best leaders encourage dissent through rigorous dialogue and debate. They care less about who’s right and more about getting to the right answer. They shift some of the decision-making burden from themselves to the skills and talents of their team (and other employees). People who have better answers than they do don’t threaten their ego or force them to produce better answers themselves. Encourage constructive dissent in your organization, and good things will happen. Once a decision is made, anticipate and expect that everyone who participated in the lively discussion will carry it out to the best of their ability.