If people can’t push back they will eventually push away. If people don’t feel like they have the freedom to voice disagreement they will eventually leave you. Ordinary people need to believe they are valuable enough to be heard. If they don’t think you are listening to them, they will eventually go someplace where they will be heard.
The dumbest/stupidest, most arrogant thing a leader (leader?) can do is to leave others with the impression that he has all the answers. All good ideas flow from the top. NOT. Rarely ever. Most good ideas get hatched from the people closest to the action. Often, that’s anyone but the leader. It’s the height of insecurity for any leader to dismiss an idea because it came from someone else.
At Kidz Blitz we are always (and forever) talking about new ideas. One discussion that keeps popping up is sound track music for Kidz Blitz Live. I like classic rock. It’s still used regularly in movies, restaurants, stores, TV commercials, etc. etc. etc. The staff has been on me for a long time to produce a parody of newer music. They relentlessly shame me because my musical tastes are over-the-hill, out-of-touch and flat out old. My reaction? So. I can live with the attacks.
But finally, I have relented. We are writing new lyrics from songs from the 90’s. It pains me. But I understand that others have musical tastes different from mine. Great idea. It came from others. Surprise. Not every good idea comes from me.
Who knew?
