We’ve all sat in meetings where nothing got accomplished because the person who held the real power wasn’t in the room. Nothing gets decided because no individual in that room is willing to take responsibility and make a decision because they fear the repercussions of what could happen if the boss disagrees. So the team meets, doesn’t make any real progress, and sets a next action to get the boss in the room to tell them they’re doing a great job. When the boss does get in the room; if he or she has a problem with the way things are going and demands that something be changed, it’s rare for someone to stand up and fight to keep the project on track. In most companies the team will take their beating and leave the meeting with a whole new set of next actions and a shorter timeline. This scenario is frequent in most companies; small to large.
The real business rockstars in this country rarely participate in the above scenario. The best business people aren’t willing to lay down and let others walk all over them. They’re confident in what they’re doing and they’re ready to argue their point of view to those who could overrule, fire, or demote them. The real rockstars of the business world have no problem engaging a superior in a fight to protect their project or team. We all should do more of this.
If the boss says no and you believe the answer is yes… Then you fight for yes. You stand up, project confidence, take responsibility, demand respect, and tell the boss why the answer is yes and why they should agree. Confidence, responsibility, and respect are key to this equation; if you don’t have all three, you might as well lean up against the cage and let the the assigned boss beat on you for all three rounds of the fight (if it’s a big decision, settle in for five). Sure, letting your superior get his or her way when you disagree is the easy (and sometimes smart) thing to do short-term… But the key phrase here is “short-term”. If you’re looking to win long-term and make some real money in your life… Then you’ve got to be willing to take the center of the cage and fight.
I know this concept is easier said than done… But take this equation into consideration:
(NO)+AUTHORITY < (YES)+CONFIDENCE+RESPONSIBILITY+RESPECT
And keep another thing in mind; The great companies don’t hire employees to lean against the cage. They want leaders, innovators, and business rockstars. They want people who will fight to advance the company.
