‘No' Not A Bad Word

A culture of respectful dissent in a firm starts with the CEO.

- Walter Vieira

Most of us have grown up in an environment where we have had a ‘boss’, not a ‘leader’. The rules were very clear.

Rule 1: The boss is always right.

Rule 2: Refer to Rule 1.

We have observed time and again that even when the boss wanted to give some leeway, the subordinates would not just stoop, but crawl. This can also be seen also in our political organisations and even in some NGOs.

Again, this is not just in India, but also in most parts of the world. Dissent is taken as a challenge to authority. The dissenters must be put in their place. Position and power must be accepted in totality, and in a spirit of subservience.

Looking back

When I worked in the corporate world many decades ago, I asked the management trainee who we had hired from IIM-A, to attend a strategy meeting for the launch of a new product. After the marketing head finished his presentation, the young trainee asked two questions which the director could not answer. After the meeting, as we were walking back, the managing director—who was a salesman who worked his way up—abruptly told me that I should not invite the trainee again for such meetings. He is too smart, and must be put in his place. In this company, there was no room for dissent—even if respectfully done. A year later, this trainee left the company for greener pastures and did extremely well in his career.

However, there are some organisations which are headed by CEOs or owners, who have a high quantum of CHT— conceptual, human, and technical—skills. Especially the conceptual and human, which may have taken them to where they are now—the corner office.