When to Follow Orders, When to Pushback
We all have experience in one form or another of the proverbial “yes man.” The one person who no matter what is going on, will sit there and nod along to the lead, blindly agreeing, dodging conflict while suffocating ideas and killing trust. This guy should have been lumped into the last entry on Culture Killers, because aside from undermining, yes men is right there at the top of the list of guilty associates who contribute to tanking the culture. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time to nod along but there’s also a time to give some professional pushback and more often than that, like I mentioned in Leading from Below, this can be a powerful force. It might take some courage and will definitely require knowledge on the topic, but knowing the balance of when to follow orders vs when to influence an altered direction is a skillset to be studied. Balancing loyalty and pushback means following orders when they align with the vision but challenging respectfully when they do not.
Why It Matters
Protects Culture: Yes men breed mistrust; balanced pushback fosters openness, boosting morale by 20% (SHRM, 2024).
Drives Innovation: Challenging bad calls sparks better ideas, improving outcomes by 15% (Gallup, 2024).
Strengthens Teams: Creates a culture where loyalty and courage coexist, like a locker room united by trust.
How to Balance Loyalty and Pushback
Two words that can box you in, “Everything,” and “Always,” but I’ll say it… Everything is Always about the Vision: Keeping alignment on the vision opens the door for conversation and in conversation, innovated troubleshooting, etc., you have to have space to communicate openly and help spark ideas. Grasp the goal, like “win the championship,” and follow orders that support it, per Simon Sinek’s “why.”
Know Your Role (Assignment): Share expertise within your role.. Train to add value and even ask yourself daily, “What can I do to make a positive impact on the Vision?” and then as opportunities arise, you are ready to truly contribute and not just nod.
Where It Goes Wrong
Yes Men Culture: As a lead, having yes men near you can blind you to the field. Your team/staff, all within their assignment should have eyes on and within their expertise, so when you need info to make best decisions, the staff isn’t grasping for your answer, they know thee answer. As a staff member, the lead does not come to you to feel smart by always being correct (which could be what happens as you agree all the time), but they’re coming for help and info. Be ready with thoughts and knowledge, not just a bobblehead parroting everything the lead says.
Reckless Pushback: Challenging without tact can fractures trust and culture. Timing is important, as is set and setting. Knowing when to pushback is just as important as how. I do not recommend doing it front of the entire company. Find time to pull the boss aside and say “hey, I had some ideas to add to,” project x and be thoughtful. Have his/her questions answered before they ask. Again, vision on the why along with collecting data within your expertise will guide you down the path to thoughtful, useful ideas.
Fixing a Yes Men Culture
Encourage Honest Dialogue: Create safe spaces for feedback to rebuild trust. Not everyone has to agree 100%, but everyone does have to be seeing the same playing field. Always be clear in communicating the vision and keeping targets on it.
Reward Smart Pushback: Celebrate solution-focused challenges. Over the years, I’ve been known to ask players what they feel about a certain scheme or potential call. Given their age (usually between 16-18), I enjoy when they see things differently and for sake of giving them ownership and making things more fun, I nearly always let them run with their idea. Think about this in the business world and give the team calls to make that might counter yours, even if just for the sake of learning (yours and theirs) and it’s a multiplied benefit.
Lead by Example in Communication: Culture is always priority so when a subordinate lead pushes back, take a step back and give it deep consideration before responding. The entire team is watching and learning how you handle this. I never shut down an idea, especially in front of a group. The team needs to know their voices truly matter.
My Call
I said it several times in this entry, everything is always about the vision. From a leadership perspective, set ego aside and welcome disagreement and debate. It can be a valuable tool for every person in the room and trust me, there aren’t many things worse than working with or for someone who cannot hear a challenging idea or opinion. Being a closed minded leader is a surefire way to shut down communication and create yes men.
For staff and subordinate leads, know when to agree (alignment to vision) and know when and how to pushback (confusion and/or detachment from the goals/vision). Be genuine, have info to support and always keep the team in mind, as well as your relationship with the lead. Dont be surprised if your pushback actually takes you up a few points. It can show courage and care, two key ingredients for high level culture and success.