Why Great Leaders Don't Take Yes for an Answer: Managing for Conflict and Consensus

by Michael A. Roberto

Book Overview

In this book, Harvard Business School Professor Michael Roberto shows you how to stimulate dissent and debate to improve your decision making; he also shows how to keep that conflict constructive. Of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0131454390
• ISBN13: 9780131454392
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Wharton School Publishing
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Facinating, Practical and Inspiring

Mike Roberto's ability to draw upon facinating and complex stories about leadership and decision making ranging from the Cuban missile crisis to a mountaineering expedition on Everest engages the general reader interested in leadership. Once he draws you in with these facinating stories he gives clear and powerful analysis backed up by strong research and scholarship helping you see the choices leaders make, their consequences and the implications for successful outcomes. The result is a book that inspires on many levels. I am using what I learned from the book to create an agenda for leadership development at a cultural non profit organization where I am a board member. I love the powerful quotes that are sprinkled throughout the book, the practical advice on how to create good team dynamics and particularly on how to embrace constructive conflict and help it to work as a positive force-towards reaching a better organizational solution. It's a very satisfying read--meaty and thought provoking for its ideas but very engaging because of its well told stories.

Extremely Sharp Look Into Conflict as the Basis of Effective Leadership

The value placed on conformity within companies has been the traditional norm, though it is almost subliminally stated in passive language that emphasizes adhering to a certain set of corporate values. Take a look at a film like Billy Wilder's "The Apartment" if you want historical validation of this perspective or even this year's piercing documentary, "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room", if you want a more current example. In direct contrast and in a most refreshing manner, Michael A. Roberto, a Harvard Business School professor, describes the toll on organizations when leaders fail to create an atmosphere that invites dissent. In compelling examples ranging from the Cuban missile crisis to the Columbia space shuttle tragedy, he clearly outlines concrete steps that managers at all levels can take to spark positive conflict and make sure that all views get a fair hearing. Moreover, Roberto outlines a fair and open process for making more effective decisions. It is not too surprising how pervasive a "no" organization exists in today's economy given the conservative measures taken by leadership to maintain their power base and wealth. Such companies do not employ dissenting voices as a means of encouraging divergent thinking. Instead, they enable those who disagree with a proposal to shut off dialogue and discourage interesting avenues of inquiry. Such cultures do not provide an incentive for dissenters to defend their views with data and logic or even more importantly, explain how their objections are consistent with organization-wide goals as opposed to the interests of their more immediate divisions. As Enron proved, a culture of "no" enables those with the most power or the loudest voice to impose their will. Roberto points out that the first barrier leaders need to recognize is that expressing dissent can be very difficult and uncomfortable for lower-level managers and employees. Consequently, rather than waiting for dissent to come to them, leaders need to actively seek it out in their organizations. Searching for constructive dissidents remains at odds with the existence of passive leadership since by its nature, it constitutes a substantial barrier to candid dialogue and debate within organizations. Analysis paralysis can fossilize a company more focused on improving quarterly results. Nearly all decisions made by an organization are analyzed by whether they worked or not, which redirects the focus to one of trying to choose the "right outcome". As an alternative, Roberto focuses on how to form the right environment to allow good decisions to be made. For example, the role of Morton Thiokol in the Columbia space shuttle accident shows how the environment surrounding key decisions led to outcomes that varied greatly in their effectiveness. Roberto advocates a consensus style of decision making where all issues are openly discussed and debated without worry of political ramifications. As most of us know who have struggled in a corpor

A Pernicious and Perennial Problem

Last fall, following 86 years of heartache, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. Two months later, Theo Epstein, the team's general manager, opted not to met a $50 million dollar offer from Omar Minaya, the new general manager of the New York Mets to star pitcher Pedro Martinez, considered by many to be the heart and sole of his team. Mets fans were ecstatic; Red Sox fans expressed mixed emotions. Martinez's skills clearly had begun to erode; yet it would be next to impossible to replace his battling determination. It will be years before anyone can clearly assess which general manager made the correct decision. Michael Roberto, a Harvard Business School faculty member, in this insightful book argues Minaya and Epstein are not alone. In all types of organizations, leaders often have to wait long time periods to see the results of their decisions. The core premise of his book is that a quality process enhances the probability of achieving a positive outcome. A quality process, according to the author involves more than sound analytics. It involves the astute management of the emotional, political and social aspects of decision making. To wit: * Have you considered multiple alternatives? * Have you surfaced and tested your assumptions? * Did dissenting views emerge during your deliberations? * Are you building high levels of commitment and shared understanding? Roberto argues and then demonstrates how leaders cultivate constructive conflict to enhance critical and divergent thinking. This means managing the tension between conflict and consensus. Secondly, he argues leaders need to spend time "deciding how to decide." High-quality processes require forethought. Ensure your desire for a solution to a critical and complex problem employs more than a single-minded solution. Time spent "deciding how to decide" will increase the possibility of walking the fine line between conflict and consensus. As for the Mets and the Red Sox, my vote goes with Theo Epstein. I am a Yankee fan. I was thrilled to see a great pitcher head for the other league.

Strategies for the serious leader

One of the most common problems of business and committees is the tendency of the members of the committee to say "yes" to whatever the owners or upper management proposes. In a company where career paths can be sidetracked quickly by not supporting your superior it is the only answer to give. As a result there is no legitimate feedback for management decision making. This is the problem addressed by author Michael A. Roberto. Mr. Roberto proposes that great leaders develop a culture of conflict and consensus at the same time. Of course conflict must be created in a constructive nature and kept constructive. The problem is how to effectively deal with a lack of candor and stimulate a clash of ideas while keeping it constructive. Chapter three is one of the best ones in my opinion and the author does an especially good job of discussing the factors that keep dialog from being candid and the barriers to expressing and discussing dissenting opinions. Chapters 4 and 5 looks at the art of how to stimulate an increase in conflict and voice a dissenting opinion without seeming to be difficult. Of course once you have these conflicting ideas out in the open you have to somehow come to a consensus. Why Great Leaders Don't Take Yes for an Answer is a recommended for all business people but especially for those who utilize committees and boards for direction.

Great information on how to make great decisions...

I received an advance copy of an interesting book a week or two ago... Why Great Leaders Don't Take Yes For An Answer: Managing For Conflict And Consensus by Michael A. Roberto (Wharton School Publishing). It's an insightful book on how to effectively promote a culture of open decision-making. Chapter List: Part 1 - Leading The Decision Process: The Leadership Challenge; Deciding How To Decide Part 2 - Managing Conflict: An Absence Of Candor; Stimulating The Clash Of Ideas; Keeping Conflict Constructive Part 3 - Building Consensus: The Dynamics Of Indecision; Fair And Legitimate Process; Reaching Closure Part 4 - A New Breed Of Take-Charge Leader: Leading With Restraint Endnotes; Index In our results-oriented and media-driven society, nearly all decisions made by an organization (be it corporate or government) are analyzed by whether they worked or not. This leads to the focus on trying to choose the "right outcome". Roberto takes a different tack, and focuses more on how to form the right environment to allow good decisions to be made. Using examples such as the Bay Of Pigs invasion, the Cuban missile crisis, and the Columbia space shuttle accident, he analyzes how the environment surrounding the decisions led to outcomes that varied greatly in their effectiveness. Roberto advocates a consensus style of decision making, where all issues are openly discussed and debated without politics and position flavoring who can advance what ideas. Easier said than done, however. Through either forceful personality or complete abdication of responsibility, too many important decisions are hamstrung by lack of input due to fear or intimidation. Using the techniques in this book, a leader can learn how to effectively structure the group to get the type of free-flowing information exchange that ensures all information is available prior to a choice being made. The author also realizes and accurately points out that there are different types of leadership techniques that have to be employed at different times with various groups. There are times where s/he might have to remove themselves from the initial discussions to make sure their personality doesn't overpower the flavor of the debate. Other times it might be necessary to be very active to be sure that all the groups who have the important information are heard regardless of their position or rank. It's a fine line to walk, but one in which the resulting decisions will be of a much higher quality and outcome. Regardless of whether you're a CEO or a supervisor, the techniques and framework discussed here will help you to be a more effective leader in these times of ever-changing environments. Definitely a recommended read.