You’re in charge and you’ve spent countless hours cultivating and fostering the development of a team member. You saw potential early on and made sure to support their growth. But lately, as they’ve become more comfortable in the role, they’ve started to push back. Perhaps they're challenging your big decision or questioning your plans with new evidence they've uncovered, and it might irk you a bit to see your leadership being questioned. Good - it means you're on the right track.
Navigating your ego can be a complicated business when you find yourself in a position of authority. It feels great when a team member follows through with your request. It advances productivity, and their willingness to follow reinforces your sense of leadership. That’s good leadership but great leadership goes beyond the conventional and breaks the mold by allowing space of disobedience… the intelligent kind.
Now some of us might be put off by the term: "Intelligent Disobedience".
Intelligent disobedience isn't about your team turning into rebels without a cause. It's about nurturing a culture where your crew isn't just nodding along with a robotic "yes ma'am." No, it's the art of allowing them to tap into their inner maverick, to question the norms and challenge the established order, all in the name of making your organization thrive. Think of it as the key ingredient for whipping up innovative breakthroughs and turbocharging your team's sense of ownership. So, why settle for a monotonous "yes" when you can inspire a "yes, but how about this?"
Getting this type of disobedience from your team requires empathy, patience, and interpersonal awareness. Because of that, intelligent disobedience should be seen as the inseparable partner of psychological safety. Without psychological safety, your team won’t feel secure enough to voice their perspectives, especially when they run counter to your stance. Without that security, you leave your team open to unseen complications, and you leave the organization open to the consequences.
How do we even know what to look for?
When was the last time you fostered or even saw intelligent disobedience? Encouraging team members to question existing processes and think critically creates an environment that promotes innovation and robust decision making. If this sounds intriguing to you, but you’re unsure about how to take those first steps or even what such a culture may look like, we’ve got you covered.
Here are three important actions you can take to cultivate a space for intelligent disobedience.
1. Get with the times
Intelligent disobedience is not insubordination. It’s not insubordination because it’s not malicious or self-serving. If a team member voices a concern or idea counter to what you believe to be correct, it’s almost certainly out of genuine belief in what is best for the team, project, or your organization. Sure, it may not feel that way, but that’s because the workforce has, for generations, been socialized to believe that authentic and effective management is based upon a hierarchy and subordination model. However, times change and so do occupational cultures. The role of leadership has evolved beyond traditional notions of blind obedience and hierarchical control. Top leaders today recognize this and welcome the challenge.
2. Leverage intelligent disobedience as a strategy
This allows for the successful performance of a well-rounded risk-benefit analysis by being open to input from multiple voices and viewpoints. This sort of openness engenders more effective change management and clears a path to greater innovation. Moreover, potential pitfalls and blind spots which may have eluded you might have occurred to another member of your team. Covering as many variables as possible can save a lot of pain and turmoil down the road, as well as set you up for unexpected successes.
Take for example, the experience of Stephanie Kwolek at Dupont. While researching stronger materials for use in tires, Kwolek developed a formula significantly stronger than any previously developed polymer. Realizing the potential of this polymer, Kwolek and her team successfully transitioned from tire development to the manufacturing of Kevlar. Today, her innovation, and the openness of her leaders, help keep first responders and service personnel safe.
3. Build it into your values system
Intelligent disobedience works in tandem with psychological safety and other core values. If an employee doesn’t feel secure, and appreciated, they’re not going to contribute constructively to the team decision-making process. That means that crucial ideas and perspectives may go unvoiced, thus inviting the potential for all manner of unwanted problems.
Intelligent disobedience should always be balanced with respect, open communication, and a shared understanding of the team's goals. In other words, trust and respect cut both ways. You trust your direct reports to offer constructive feedback and they trust that you are truly listening to their concerns and ideas in good faith, even if you decide to move in another direction. Such leadership strengthens the social and psychological structure of your environment and provides your team with a deep well of creative ideas, ready to be applied to any challenges you may face. In essence, intelligent disobedience means allowing a space which fosters a culture of innovation and empowerment for team members to collaboratively drive positive change.
So, this is our challenge to you. Check your ego. Don’t be afraid to encounter intelligent disobedience, and don’t shy away from constructive critique. Be the leader who is fearless enough to embrace dissenting opinions, and authentically fosters both excellence and openness. Celebrate it, mull it over, and open it up to discussion. Then you’ll be ready to make your informed decision.
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