As a leadership coach, I meet a lot of senior leaders. In my conversations, there’s a surprising compliment I sometimes hear when one executive introduces me to another. They say, “This is the person who tells me ‘No.’”
In the pursuit of growth and productivity, it’s easy to honor the person who figures out how to say, “Yes.” It’s easy to become the person who will say, “Yes,” and then figure out how later. And that kind of behavior is often highly regarded and rewarded.
But the wrong project can overwhelm capacity and stall the whole pipeline. It may introduce unexpected complexities or surprise requirements, triggering cost overruns and demoralizing frustrations.
Sometimes, the most valuable person in an organization is momentarily the one with the insight and backbone to say, “No. We choose not to embark on that project.”
If you’d like a thinking partner to evaluate an opportunity that’s on your doorstep, let’s talk. Visit stevedwire.com/talk to begin the conversation.
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