Summary: If the leader assumes positive intentions of their followers, we are able to win. If the follower positively assumes that the leader truly wants the best possible outcome, they will speak honestly and respectfully.

On our last video, we talked about people as “Roadblocks” or “Street Cleaners.” Honestly, it is about our internal disposition and less about them. Rather than only talking about this with the language of “Roadblock” vs. “Street Cleaner.” I want to broaden our vocabulary. Do you view people who ask you questions as a “Threat” or do you view them as an “Asset”?

Do you view questions as a personal threat? Maybe you have been around a leader who is so brittle that any probing question causes them to react negatively. Insecure leaders don’t want feedback, they just want blind affirmation. Brittle leaders cannot handle feedback.

If an idea is good, it can stand up to questioning. If an idea is good, it will become stronger through questioning. Andy Stanely said, “Leaders who cease listening will soon have followers with nothing to say.” Brittle leaders create intimidating conditions, leading to silence. Therefore, their ideas do not get the benefit of dialogue. Leaders who hold others as threats miss out on people being assets.

This starts with a foundation of shared trust. If the leader assumes positive intentions of their followers, we are able to win. If the follower positively assumes that the leader truly wants the best possible outcome, they will speak honestly and respectfully. If you as a leader view others’ input as a threat as opposed to an asset, you will set a negative and harmful tone. Today, I want to challenge you to view others’ inputs as an asset and not as a threat.