If nobody ever disagrees with you, you’re either always right or not safe to disagree with. Bet on the second.

LEADERSHIP

WHAT THIS MEANS

Unanimous agreement is a far weaker signal than it feels like. The chance that you are correct about everything is close to zero, so a complete absence of pushback is more likely a report on the atmosphere than on your judgement. Being right and being unchallenged look identical from the inside, which is what makes this worth checking.

Treat the silence as a question about you rather than a verdict on your ideas. Ask one person privately whether people feel able to push back. Then make disagreeing visibly safe once, which does more than promising it ever could.

A QUESTION TO SIT WITH

Is disagreeing with you safe for the people around you?

MORE IN LEADERSHIP & INFLUENCE

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