Encourage Your Team to Challenge You

We’re all drawn to people who repeat back to us what we already believe. But dissent, not consensus, leads to smarter decisions. Still, few leaders actively seek out challenging opinions. Are you clearly signaling to your team that you want to hear views different than your own? When people are encouraged to express divergent opinions, they share more information, reconsider assumptions, identify creative alternatives, and alert you to errors. Let your team know you welcome their opinions even—especially—if they differ from yours. Or take it a step further: Enlist a trusted Challenger in Chief to interrogate you about the decisions you’re making, inviting you to rethink, contradict, or even refute your position.

Adapted from “Every Leader Needs a Challenger in Chttp://links.mkt3142.com/ctt?kn=34&ms=NzM3MTU0MwS2&r=Mzc4OTk1ODMxS0&b=0&j=OTc5MjU4MzMS1&mt=1&rt=0hief,” by Noreena Hertz.