Public Disagreement With Leadership

This can be a tricky one. Is it a massive green flag when any IC across an organization can feel comfortable and confident disagreeing with or challenging leadership publicly? Absolutely. Is it also one of the most endlessly repeated but entirely empty refrains coming from leadership? Also yes.

This is about walking the walk. Talking the talk. It's much easier to say you encourage friction than it is to engage with it sans defensiveness. But it's essential. Not only are you, as a leader, encouraging courage, debate and the pursuit of excellence — you're also almost definitely exposing yourself to massively beneficial and fresh takes that your, otherwise entirely walled off, echo chamber of people pleasing would keep you from.

Everyone benefits. Work improves, morale improves, communication improves. The only sacrifice is a small one that can feel huge to certain people. Drop the ego, open up and encourage public pushback. You'll be better for it.