How to Foster Excellence Through Constructive Disagreement

High-performing teams argue purposefully. I’ve seen this over and over in my career. While others get over-emotional and reactive during disagreements, the best teams disagree 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺. There are 6 steps to having effective “arguments” at work: 𝟭. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 In any debate, it's vital for participants to understand their roles. Are you there to make the final decision, offer fresh ideas, or passionately defend your viewpoint? Clear roles ensure everyone knows their purpose and contributes constructively to the discussion. 𝟮. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 Rather than fixating on individual positions, effective arguments focus on common interests. Identify shared goals and objectives that can guide the conversation toward a collaborative solution rather than a divisive one. 𝟯. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 Before challenging an idea, strive to enhance it. Encourage team members to develop and strengthen an argument before attempting to deconstruct others' viewpoints. This approach promotes a more robust and constructive debate. 𝟰. 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Strong arguments are supported by data and intuition. It's essential to justify your stance and how you arrived at that conclusion. At the same time, you’re a human being. Combining factual evidence with your intuitive insights adds depth and credibility to your argument. 𝟱. 𝗕𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 This may seem obvious, but: Effective debate requires a willingness to have your mind changed. Enter the discussion with an open mind, ready to consider and allow yourself to be moved by the better argument if it arises. This demonstrates intellectual humility and promotes a culture of continuous learning. 𝟲. 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 Effective arguments need constraints. They keep them on track and prevent them from becoming unproductive or overly emotional. These constraints could include: • time limits • sticking to certain topics • not allowing the conversation to become too personal The goal is to enter with many ideas and emerge with the best one. – Remember: iron sharpens iron. Strong teams don’t shy away from arguments. They embrace them, stay in them, and ultimately push each other to higher ground and bigger possibilities.

At the conclusion of our last team retreat, each person shared what they learned about Bright Morning. One of my teammates shared, “I learned we can rumble without destruction.” In order for teams to be effective, they need to have conflict. Not destructive conflict. Not where people shout or are passive-aggressive or where pent-up frustrations culminate in ruptures. Teams need healthy conflict—the kind that allows for disagreements, different viewpoints, and a path forward that deepens relationships on a team.  I’m thankful to have built a team that engages in this type of conflict regularly. We are much stronger because of it. If you want to foster healthy conflict on your team, you need to plan for it. Here are four steps you can incorporate into a plan to cultivate healthy conflict with a team: 1️⃣ Start with your experience of conflict. How would you define it? What were your earliest memories of conflict? What examples did you have of healthy conflict growing up? 2️⃣ Engage in storytelling. Share about your experiences of conflict to develop greater empathy for your teammates 3️⃣ Create a shared vision for what conflict might look and sound like for your team. In "The Art of Coaching Teams", I write about the indicators of healthy conflict. Those can be a helpful starting point, but you’ll want to engage your team to generate indicators that are true for your group. 4️⃣ Practice having conflict. Choose some low-stakes scenarios to practice to test your shared vision. If you want to start with super low stakes, assign each team member an ice cream flavor and have them engage in a discussion as to why their ice cream flavor is the best. Reflect on how the conflict felt for teammates. Gradually increase the stakes. This series of steps is not a panacea. Unhealthy or toxic cultures breed the more destructive kinds of conflict. But if your team has created the structures to be a functioning team, and if your team is committed to creating a just, resilient community focused on systems transformation, then healthy conflict might be exactly what you need. Which steps have you tried? Which one are you interested in trying next?

Do you feel part of a real team? Or are there moments when you feel isolated, uncertain, and disconnected, even though you're surrounded by colleagues? In the early stages of my career, I had the simplistic view that bringing together a bunch of high achievers would naturally create an outstanding team. However, the reality was quite different. Instead of creating synergy, there was noticeable discord. The team didn't seem to gel; it was akin to cogs not aligning in a machine. Every top performer, exceptional in their own right, appeared to follow their own path, often pulling in different directions. The amount of energy and time lost to internal strife was significant, and the expected outcomes? They remained just that – expected. This experience was a clear lesson that the success of a team isn't merely based on individual talent; it's about harmony, alignment, and collaboration. With today’s workplaces being more diverse, widespread, digitized, and ever-changing, achieving this is certainly challenging. So, in my quest to understand the nuances of high-performing teams, I reached out to my friend Hari Haralambiev. As a coach of dev teams who care about people, Hari has worked with numerous tech organizations, guiding them to unlock their teams’ potential. Here are his top 5 tips for developing high performing teams: 1. Be Inclusive ↳Put a structure in place so that the most vocal people don’t suffocate the silent voices. Great teams make sure minority views are heard and taken into account. They make it safe for people to speak up. 2. Leverage Conflict ↳Disagreements should be encouraged and how you handle them is what makes your team poor or great. Great teams mine for conflict - they cherish disagreements. To handle disagreements properly make sure to separate discussion from decision. 3. Decision Making Process ↳Have a clear team decision-making method to resolve conflicts quickly. The most important decision a team should make is how to make decisions. Don’t look for 100% agreement. Look for 100% commitment. 4. Care and Connect ↳This is by far the most important tip. Teams who are oriented only on results are not high-performing. You need to create psychological safety and build trust between people. To do that - focus on actually knowing the other people and to make it safe to be vulnerable in front of others. Say these 4 phrases more often: ‘I don’t know’, ‘I made a mistake’, ‘I’m sorry’, ‘I need help’. 5. Reward experimentation and risk taking ↳No solution is 100% certain. People should feel safe to take risks and make mistakes. Reward smart failure. Over-communicate that it’s better to take action and take accountability than play it safe. Remember, 'team' isn't just a noun—it's a verb. It requires ongoing effort and commitment to work at it, refine it, and nurture it. Do give Hari a follow and join over 6K+ professionals who receive his leadership comics in his newsletter A Leader’s Tale.

In the corporate world, cultivating a culture of consensus-building is often seen as a hallmark of effective leadership. But what happens when this culture transforms into a perpetual 'yes' echo chamber? The danger of a 'yes' culture often goes unnoticed until creativity dwindles and critical thinking fades away. When employees are conditioned or inclined to agree, rather than challenge or debate, we miss out on the full spectrum of their intellect and potential. I'd venture to guess this culture is taking hold in many organizations as employees face the fear of layoffs day after day. In such environments, individuals become mere executors, robotically ticking off tasks without the drive or opportunity to contribute strategically. Innovation stalls and growth grinds to a halt because the truly groundbreaking ideas often come from spirited discourse and the courage to question. We need to pivot from rewarding acquiescence to encouraging thoughtful dissent. It is when we foster a company culture where saying 'no' is not only acceptable but is also viewed as a valuable contribution, that we begin to see the vigor of strategic thinkers taking the helm. This transformation encourages everyone to ask tough questions and engage genuinely to ensure the best solutions emerge. Leaders must champion an ethos of respectful pushback, where a sense of team and collective achievement is derived from getting the right things done —not just getting them done. I encourage you to reflect on your workplace dynamics and ask yourself: Are we nurturing executors, or are we empowering strategic thinkers? How often does 'yes' dominate conversations without authentic scrutiny? What mechanisms do we have in place to celebrate and encourage constructive disagreement? Only by recognizing the perils of a 'yes' culture can we begin the pivotal shift towards fostering robust teams that don't just do tasks but propel the business into the future with confidence and creativity. #leadership #innovation #companyculture #strategicthinking #teamwork

No one told me this skill would shape my entire career: learning how to disagree. Growing up, I always needed to be right. If I was wrong, I’d sulk. Not getting my way? Not an option. But the real world doesn’t run on “my way or the highway.” Especially not in crossfunctional teams. I’ll never forget my first job out of college. My title? “Ad Master” (yep, horrible, we all agreed). My job? Manage ad placement for our advertisers. And I loved it. I even wrote the manual on how to do it, binders and all. Then we hired new folks. I was training someone and he had suggested a different way to do something. And I snapped. “Um noooo, we are doing it this way.” Instead of fighting with me, he backed down. But later that week, I got feedback from my manager that he found me “difficult to work with” and didn’t want me as his trainer. WHAT?! That moment humbled me and it changed how I work forever. So here are 4 things that I've learned and you should do when navigating disagreement with a teammate: 1️⃣ Listen to understand, not defend. You don’t need to agree, but you do need to be open. 2️⃣ Pause before you respond. You’ll sound less reactive, more thoughtful. 3️⃣ Ask clarifying questions. Not “Why would we do that?” more like “Help me understand what you’re seeing.” 4️⃣ Decide what’s most important. Your ego, or the outcome? Learning to disagree respectfully, constructively, and without derailing momentum is one of the most critical leadership skills. No one talks about it. But it shows up every single day. What helped you learn how to disagree and still move forward?

Not everyone will agree with you. That’s not a threat, that’s a feature. If you’re building anything bold, such as leading change, challenging norms, or speaking with clarity, someone is going to push back. That’s inevitable. I’ve seen this first-hand. On LinkedIn. In executive meetings. In hallway conversations. I’ve posted opinions about Customer Success owning revenue, the need for velocity inside culture, and the urgency of leadership accountability, and the reactions vary. Some lean in. Others resist. A few push back hard. But here’s what I’ve come to believe: disagreement is not the enemy of progress. Disrespect is. We don’t need to all think the same way. That would be boring, and honestly, it would be dangerous. But we do need to respect each other enough to stay in the conversation when we see the world differently. You can’t create the future without tension. The future isn’t built by consensus. It’s built through pressure-tested ideas, evolving viewpoints, and people willing to challenge and be challenged. That’s how breakthrough thinking happens. But only when people stay at the table. Only when we treat differing perspectives as inputs, not threats. We need less outrage. More curiosity. Less canceling. More conversation. Less ego. More openness. Leadership shows up in how we respond to disagreement. Anyone can clap for the popular opinion. Real leaders continue to show up when it gets uncomfortable. You want to create a better culture? Learn how to disagree with grace. You want to shape a winning team? Invite people to challenge your thinking. You want to build something that lasts? Expect people to push back, and then keep going. So here’s what I’m (still) learning: 1️⃣ Don’t confuse disagreement with disrespect 2️⃣ Don’t let critics shut down your conviction 3️⃣ Don’t trade boldness for approval 4️⃣ And don’t stop posting, speaking, or building because it makes some people uncomfortable Because the future isn’t built by people who play it safe. It’s built by people willing to think out loud, take the heat, and keep moving forward. Even when people disagree. Especially then. #CreateTheFuture #Leadership #Courage #Disagreement #Respect #Progress #Growth

The best teams I’ve ever worked with had one thing in common: we didn’t always agree. In fact, disagreement was part of the strength. As leaders, it’s tempting, especially in uncertain times, to surround ourselves with people who validate our thinking. But the real risk is in the echo chamber. When everyone nods along, we miss the hard questions. We miss better ideas. We miss the truth. Healthy discord is essential. It challenges assumptions, sharpens strategies, and creates space for innovation. I’ve learned to value the team members who push back with thoughtfulness and care. They’re not being difficult, they’re being invested. And when leaders embrace that, everything gets stronger. Let’s stop hiring for agreement and start building for growth. #Leadership #TeamDynamics #HealthyConflict #CMOInsights #PeopleFirst

As a leader, I know I’ve done something wrong when... I deliver a team presentation or lead meetings and hear crickets or everyone agrees with me. It’s one of two things: → One: I have somehow built a culture where challenging me isn't acceptable → Or, two: The final outcome may fall short because we didn’t have enough dialogue around the solution. In either case, both scenarios produce mediocre results, which no one wants. Consider the Wright brothers, pioneers of aviation, and their approach to teamwork. According to the duo there’s a Wright way for constructive dialogue. The brothers were a successful team because they focused on arriving at the best possible solution. Neither was interested in winning an argument or proving a point for the sake of being right – that’s all ego.  They assumed positive intent and focused on arriving at the best possible solution. The same approach is critical to a team's success. It’s important to build a company culture where: – Teammates approach discussions with positive intent. – They are encouraged to respectfully challenge each other. – Teams ask inquisitive questions to find the best solutions, and  – Ultimately, make great decisions. When you do, unhealthy conflict fades and the team's commitment to achieving outstanding outcomes grows exponentially. At the end of the day, a silent team isn't golden. How to fix this?  Short-term, you can ask others to deliver your presentations and lead discussions with you absent.  Long-term, it's on you to change your behavior and the team’s culture. If you don’t, it's a missed opportunity for innovation.

As a leader, this is how you can take conflicts for the betterment of your team! In business, there can be a tendency to avoid conflict and encourage harmony. After all, conflict is often viewed as counterproductive - a sign that something isn't working. But suppressing diverse opinions and perspectives can hold your team back. Constructive conflict fuels progress. When differing viewpoints are brought to the table respectfully, the sparks of creativity and breakthrough thinking are sparked. As the CEO at Pronix Inc., I strive to promote psychological safety on my team - an environment where people feel comfortable engaging in debate, challenging assumptions, and thinking differently. Through open and honest dialogue, we can gain a more holistic understanding of problems. Encouraging constructive conflict leads to informed decision-making, stronger solutions, and a culture of innovation. Of course, the key is keeping conflict productive. I emphasize on → Mindful communication,  → Identifying shared goals, → Active listening without judgment. Ideological difference is a doorway to innovation when managed effectively. What steps are you taking to ensure that the positive conflict is mindful and respectful?

Let's dive into something that’s a bit of a hot potato in the workplace – yep, I’m talking about conflict styles. It’s like that sneaky elephant always lurking in the room, but we pretend it's not there. But guess what? It's time to bring it into the spotlight! So, conflict styles – we’ve got a few in our portfolio: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating. Each one’s got its moment to shine, but the real trick is knowing when to play which card. My client, Sarah, and I have been working on a real-life scenario from the trenches. Sarah shared a recent event. A team meeting buzzing with energy, and suddenly, the air's thick with tension. We’ve got Mike, our go-getter, all guns blazing with his exceptional marketing plan. Then there’s Sarah, the voice of reason, pumping the brakes for a more measured approach. Mike’s all about dominating the play – classic competing style. But what if this isn’t a zero-sum game? What if Mike hit a pause, took a breath, and listened to Sarah? Now, mix Sarah’s cautious genius with Mike’s bold vision. Bam! That’s the sweet spot where competing meets collaborating. Recognizing and tweaking your conflict style to work with others seamlessly can spark some serious innovation and build rock-solid respect within the team. It’s not about who wins the argument but crafting a team that wins together. So, next time you’re in the heat of a workplace showdown, ask yourself: “Should I stand my ground, or can I blend my style with others for the greater good?” The aim isn't to dodge conflict but to dance through it with finesse. I’m curious – have you ever turned a fiery debate into a win-win? How did you flip the script on conflict in your team? Please share your experiences in the comments, and let’s learn from each other’s playbooks! #executivepresence #businessleadership #executivedevelopment