The Unlikely Power of Unanimous Disagreement

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.

- Albert Einstein

In his book, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, Charles Swindoll tells of meeting a man who once served on one of Walt Disney’s original advisory boards. The early days were tough; but that remarkable, creative visionary refused to give up.

What was particularly intriguing was how Disney responded to disagreement. He said that Disney would occasionally present some unbelievable, extensive dream he was entertaining. Almost without exception, the members of his board would gulp, and stare back in disbelief, resisting the thought of such a thing. But unless every member resisted the idea, Disney usually did not pursue it. The challenge was not big enough to merit his time and creative energy unless they were unanimously in disagreement.

Taught by most in Leadership 101 is how to get along with others, build consensus, and to speak with one voice. This art is practiced in many conference rooms as leaders measure success by their ability to squash resistance to their agenda and corral the “rebel rousers” who dare stand in the way. And this is where the practice of good leadership fundamentals with its predictable boundaries must embrace unlimited progress through constructive disagreement.

Insecure leaders will never accept or tolerate disagreement and see it as a form of rebellion that must be defeated. It reminds me of the time veteran baseball umpire Bill Guthrie was working behind home plate one afternoon and the catcher for the visiting team was repeatedly protesting his calls. Guthrie endured this for a number of innings, and then called a halt. “Son,” he said softly, “you’ve been a big help to me in calling balls and strikes today, and I appreciate it. But I think I’ve got the hang of it now, so I am going to ask you to go to the clubhouse and show whoever’s there how to take a shower.”

How do you handle disagreements? Do you take it personal? Do you punish those who disagree with you? Or do you, like Disney, embrace and welcome disagreement as a means to making large dreams come true? Here are three observations to help you embrace constructive disagreements and create a culture in your organization that welcomes all viewpoints.

Constructive disagreements unleash creative thinkers. Disney refused to embrace small dreams. If the dream and the opposition were too small, it did not merit his time and creative energy. But he knew he was surrounded with gifted people. And he knew his team did not disagree for the sake of resistance, but ultimately they resisted the notion that the impossible was not within their power.

Erich Fromm said, “Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” And in like manner, it requires courage to let go of what others have labeled certain failure for what you believe are acceptable risks. Creative thinkers set aside conventional wisdom and push through as a team to achieve the impossible.

Constructive disagreements unshackle big dreams. It almost sounds like a contradiction. But real progress is made not when there is unanimous agreement about mediocre ideas but with disagreement on how to conquer large ones. The path of least resistance requires little. Not disagreement. It demands engagement, commitment, and a personal investment in the outcome.

Disney wanted to present his team with ideas and dreams that would challenge their traditional ways of thinking and tap into their creative genius. It is one thing as a leader to value and appreciate those who always agree with you, but in order to go to a higher level you have to be courageous enough to embrace the ideas and can-do spirit of those who disagree and trust them to deliver. What big dreams have you embraced?

Constructive disagreements produce undeniable results. By embracing unanimous disagreements Disney and his team created magic that has endured for decades. Millions of people all over the world have experienced the wonders of the Disney brand.

Are you a leader with big dreams and great ideas? Your rise to the next level could be just one disagreement away from reality. As you unleash creative thinkers, unshackle big dreams, you too can attain big results. But first you must step out of your comfort zone and look at things in a new light...wouldn’t you agree?



© 2011 Doug Dickerson

The Danger of Distance

Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now.
- Denis Waitley

I read with interest not long ago how a person on railroad tracks hears a train approaching, looks behind him, sees the train and then freezes in fear. The train “outruns” its sound, which means that by the time you hear it, it is virtually on top of you.

If a train engineer sees you on the track, he or she will blow the whistle. Often it takes more than a one blast to get the average person’s attention, say train engineers. But trains can’t stop the way motor vehicles can. A freight train has about 100 cars, weighs about 12 million pounds, and takes a full mile to stop. An optical illusion happens with tracks. When you see it coming, it looks as if it is traveling half as fast, and is two times farther away from you than it really is.

If not careful, leaders can fall prey to illusions that can be equally as harmful. Fast Company magazine co-founder Alan M. Webber expounds on the issue of how good talkers get taken more seriously than real doers, and the disconnect between executives who make decisions and the people who execute them. He states, “For that matter, as they make their way up the ranks, too many business leaders lose touch with the real work that formed their business education. They don’t do what they used to be so good at doing; instead, they make decisions that tell others what to do.”

Just as the train outruns its sound and creates an illusion for the person on the track, so too a leader can fall prey to similar illusions. The danger of distance for the leader is not found in attaining success too fast, but in forgetting too quick what it was like before achieving it. Here are three tips to help you stay connected and not get run over in your tracks.

Don’t forget the early days; they will keep you grounded. The more successful you become the more grounded you need to be. With the passing of time it's all too easy to forget the struggles and how important they were to you in the formative years.

As you grow as a leader and enjoy the fruits of your labor it brings about a new appreciation for the blessings you enjoy. As your passions have changed and your purpose has grown, your leadership now has a greater role. Do you remember the early days? While you can’t go back and relive them, they are the cornerstones of where you are today.

Don’t forget the little victories; they will keep you motivated. The little victories of the past are what propelled you to where you are today. Your success was built one job, client, contract, and handshake at a time. And with each one you celebrated because they were the life blood of your organization.

The danger of distance is manifested by complacency and routine. Back in the day, little victories motivated and inspired you to keep going – to reach higher, and achieve more. Do you remember the thrill of those early victories? Reclaim the thrill of the little victories and allow them to motivate you today just as they once had.

Don’t forget your people; they will keep you relevant. For all the success and accomplishment you have attained as a leader, you did not do it alone. A sure sign that the danger of distance has taken its toll on you is when you say, “Look at what I have done,” instead of, “look at what we did.”

As a leader, you are only as relevant as the quality of people you surround yourself with and the way in which you treat them. John Maxwell was right when he said, “The stronger the relationship and connection between individuals, the more likely the follower will want to help the leader.” Talented people believed in you, joined with you and believed in your dream. Have you forgotten them?

The danger of distance is one of the trappings of success. But it does not have to be your pitfall. As you stay grounded, connected, and relevant, you can navigate today’s challenges as a leader with conviction, clarity, and purpose. Now no longer a danger, the past is your guide, your present is stable, and your future is secure.

© 2011 Doug Dickerson

Are You a Leader in a Fog?

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success before they gave up. – Thomas A. Edison

I was fascinated by a story I read not long ago about Florence Chadwick. In 1952 she attempted to swim the chilly ocean waters between Catalina Island and the California shore. She swam through foggy weather and choppy seas for fifteen hours.

As her muscles began to cramp, her resolve was weakened. She begged to be taken from the water, but her mother, riding in a boat alongside, urged her not to give up. She kept trying but she grew exhausted and stopped swimming. Aids lifted her out of the water and into the boat. They paddled a few more minutes, the mist broke, and she discovered that the shore was less than a half mile away. “All I could see was the fog,” she explained at a news conference. “I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”

It might be easy for some to criticize Chadwick for giving up when she was so close to the shore. But it does not change the fact that she was in those chilly waters making the effort. What happened to Chadwick is not uncommon to many leaders. If not careful, you can get so caught up in the daily grind of your organization that by the time you realize what is going on you are walking in a fog.

The Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland said, “It takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!” But equally as important is who you run with. Are you in a fog? There is a way out, but you will need some help. Here are three things you will need to reach your goals.

A leader in a fog needs wise counsel. One of the most valuable assets a leader has in any organization is the counsel of his or her frontline people. When a leader values the counsel and perspective of those who serve on the frontlines it will be a game-changer in terms of the quality of service you can provide.

Unfortunately for Florence Chadwick, when she swam the cold choppy waters she did not have someone to tell her that her goal was within reach. In like fashion, all a discouraged leader may need is the voice of someone to say, “don’t give up, you are almost there!” If you are in a fog, listen to the counsel of those around you; your goal is closer than you may think.

A leader in a fog needs perseverance. Although she did not reach her goal, Florence Chadwick swam for 15 hours. Can you imagine? All successful leaders have one shared trait in common: resilience. They persevere longer than those who fall short. Julie Andrews said, “Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.”

The temptation in a fog is to stop striving, avoid uncertainties; to play it safe. The leader who perseveres is not distracted by the fog but remembers the vision and stays the course. If you find yourself in a fog then rest assured that you are not alone. Continue to do what brought you where you are, keep swimming, and don’t give up!

A leader in a fog needs a helping hand. When Florence Chadwick was physically unable to continue in her quest, aides were by her side to lift her up. She had a lifeline. Conversely, when a leader is surrounded by a committed team of people who share a common purpose and goal, it makes a seemingly impossible task possible.

Charlie Chaplin said, “We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery.” What a great thought. When we commit to sharing in the happiness of each other, and have a stake in that happiness, we all win.

Being in a fog is not at all uncommon. These seasons come to all leaders. How long you stay there might be a variable, but how you go through it is a test of your character. As you keep wise counsel close, persevere through the fog, and share a helping hand, you will come through a stronger leader. Don’t give up!

© 2011 Doug Dickerson

9/11 Remembered – Lessons from the Rubble

Courage is fear holding on one minute longer.
- Gen. George S. Patton

As the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks draw near, like so many of you, I can vividly recall where I was and what I felt as I watched the horrific events of that day unfold. It’s been said that time heals all things. And while the memory of that day will never fade it is our prayer that the healing continues.

In the aftermath of 9/11 thousands of heroes descended on New York City, the Pentagon, and the countryside of Pennsylvania to assist the survivors and their families. One of those heroes was firefighter Bob Beckwith.

After 29 years of service, Beckwith had already retired from the New York City Fire Department when the events of 9/11 unfolded. When he learned that a former colleague’s son was among the hundreds of missing firefighters, he made his way down to ground zero and convinced authorities to let him pass. He then joined the search to find survivors.

A few days after the attack President George W. Bush went to New York City and visited the site at ground zero. Asked to say a few words to encourage the workers, Bush climbed aboard a partially buried fire truck. With Beckwith by his side, he spoke the now famous words through a megaphone, “I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear from all of us soon.” The picture of the two has become one of the most iconic photos from that time.



Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A hero is no braver than an ordinary man; he is brave five minutes longer.” It was the bravery of Beckwith along with thousands like him, who in the face of adversity, teach us much needed leadership lessons today. As you reflect on the events of 9/11, here are three take-away leadership lessons to apply in honor of those who lost their lives, and those who served in its aftermath.

Ordinary people answer the call during extraordinary times. It would have been easy for Beckwith to sit at home and leave it to others to sift through the rubble. After all, he had already done his duty. But not Beckwith.

Cicero said, “It is the character of a brave and resolute man not to be ruffled by adversity and not to desert his post.” And this was the attitude of brave firefighters, first responders, and thousands of other ordinary people who answered the call of duty during extraordinary times. In times of adversity, leaders like Bob Beckwith do not sit by the phone waiting on a call, they show up.

Ordinary people make great sacrifices. Working in shifts around the clock, workers at ground zero tirelessly searched for victims in the rubble. Volunteers from across America and around the world assisted in the clean up and recovery efforts. Ordinary citizens conducted bake sales, donated blood, and found many creative ways to help meet the challenges our country faced.

While not all of the names of individuals who made sacrifices will be remembered, let us not forget the courageous circumstances under which they were performed. Abraham Lincoln said, “Don’t worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.” And this is your call to leadership, not to make a name for yourself, but to serve great causes. Sacrificial leadership remains a noble calling.

Ordinary people give hope for a better tomorrow. The days following 9/11 were a dark time for our country. The overwhelming sense of loss coupled with a sense of security that had been taken for granted was shattered. We were shaken to our core.

Yet instead of cowering in despair and defeat, we came together- not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans. We set aside our petty differences to rally around a greater cause. We rallied our communities, our collective love of country, and faith in God in order to show the world that while we may be wounded, we would not be defeated.

Who are the leaders that make America great? Look around you. They do not relish fancy titles or status symbols. They are ordinary people like you.



© 2011 Doug Dickerson