The Upside of Disagreement

One of the most unforgettable moments from my time as a vice president at a credit union happened during an executive team meeting with one of the CEOs during my tenure. He was someone who often preached the importance of fostering a culture where employees felt empowered to speak up, share ideas, and take ownership of their roles. He emphasized how vital it was to disagree and challenge the status quo in pursuit of better outcomes. On paper, it sounded ideal. But in practice, it wasn’t always so straightforward. 

This is a leader who, at times, was brilliant, strategic, and encouraging. I learned a lot from him while we worked together, but he had a blind spot that kept him from being a truly influential leader—he often lacked emotional intelligence and self-awareness and would become frustrated, overly critical, and even angry when he was triggered.

During this particular meeting, we were discussing a critical issue—something the entire leadership team had a stake in. One of my colleagues respectfully voiced a disagreement with the CEO's approach. Instead of hearing the perspective of my colleague, the CEO became visibly upset and abruptly shut down the discussion. Without another word, he picked up his notepad, stormed out, and left the room in a tense silence.

For the next three days, he withdrew completely, giving us the cold shoulder and avoiding any interaction with the team. The contradiction between his words about fostering a healthy culture and his reaction to being challenged left us all feeling like we were walking on eggshells. It was a moment that highlighted the gap between what leaders sometimes say they value, yet often don’t practice. 

Though this is an extreme example, in my consulting work with executives and managers, I frequently see leaders mishandle conflict in ways that undermine their teams. Some react harshly to feedback or criticism, while others avoid conflict altogether, shutting down any form of disagreement during meetings. Both approaches can stifle open communication and create a toxic environment.

While personal attacks and destructive conflict have no place in an organization, artificial harmony can be equally detrimental to a team and company culture. When leaders suppress disagreements or differences of opinion, they stifle innovation and creativity, leading team members to disengage and refrain from voicing their ideas.

When team members are encouraged to challenge each other’s ideas respectfully, they push boundaries, spark creativity, and uncover solutions that might otherwise go unnoticed. Healthy conflict is not about winning arguments—it’s about creating an environment where different perspectives are valued, and the best ideas can emerge. Teams that embrace constructive conflict are more resilient, engaged, and ultimately more successful.

This is an important element of successful leadership, and managers and executives need to be able to facilitate discussions that encourage innovation, ideas, and constructive conflict, and then build alignment around decisions. 

To foster a thriving and healthy team, it’s essential to embrace the following principles:

1.    Encourage Healthy Debate and Conflict: Embrace and actively encourage healthy debate and conflict among team members rather than shying away from it. Avoid intervening to halt constructive disagreements; instead, encourage team members to keep sharing their perspectives when they disagree. For example, if two people disagree and healthy conflict arises, don’t see this as a negative interaction that you need to take offline or stifle. Allow the debate to happen and acknowledge when team members surface different perspectives. This approach fosters innovation and enhances problem solving.

2.    Invite Differing Views: Actively seek out diverse perspectives to enrich discussions and decision-making. Valuing different viewpoints helps create a more inclusive environment. In particular, be sure to reinforce with your team that it’s okay to disagree with you, and that you invite different perspectives. This builds psychological safety on your team, where they feel comfortable sharing their true thoughts, concerns, and ideas without the need to filter or hold back. 

Examples of questions/statements:

a.    Who has an idea that is different than the ones already shared?
b.    I’d like to hear from someone who disagrees. 
c.    I’m open to feedback on this. Tell me why and how my idea won’t work. 
d.    Who has a different view on this topic?

3.    Acknowledge People When They Disagree: When an employee has the courage to disagree with you or a colleague constructively, acknowledge it. This fosters a sense of safety; employees will feel more comfortable disagreeing and sharing their true ideas and opinions because you have demonstrated these differing viewpoints are welcomed. For example, “Jane, I appreciate you sharing that you disagree with the direction we have been discussing for this project.” Even if you don’t agree with the employee’s view, you can still acknowledge them for speaking up. This not only shows respect for their opinions but also reinforces a culture of open communication and collaboration.

By implementing these principles, teams can cultivate a more dynamic and effective working environment. Building these skills as a leader is an important element of fostering a healthy, effective team that gets results. In addition, cultivating these practices with your leadership team and in your interactions creates an entire culture where employees feel free to speak up, challenge the status quo, and truly take ownership in their positions. 

As the leader of the team—whether you're a manager, project manager, or CEO—it's your responsibility to guide the team in making informed decisions. Engaging in debate is crucial for uncovering diverse ideas and perspectives. After exploring these viewpoints, it's essential for the team to reach a decision and move toward alignment.

Laurie Maddalena, MBA, CSP, CPCC, is a certified executive coach, leadership consultant and founder of CUES Supplier member Envision Excellence LLC in the Washington, D.C., area. Her mission is to create exceptional cultures by teaching leaders how to be exceptional. Maddalena facilitates management and executive training programs and team-building sessions and speaks at leadership events. Prior to starting her business, she was an HR executive at a $450 million credit union. Contact her at 240.605.7940 or info@lauriemaddalena.com