The art of ‘no’

We are often enamoured by new ideas. Fresh opportunities can feel exciting and inspire creative energy. Excellent leaders are creative, and they certainly do think forward to the future. They are just as likely - in fact more so - to say ‘no’ to a new idea as to jump on board with an impetuous ‘yes’.

This might sound counterintuitive, especially given the fast-changing world that we’re living in. ‘Adapt or die’ is often offered as a leadership mantra. There’s some truth in this and, as with all wisdom, there’s nuance. Change happens rapidly all of the time. It always has. Companies and organisations need to flex with these external changes if they are to survive.

But constantly changing the fundamentals of the business, switching from one direction to another, lurching from one strategy to another is a near-certain way to ruin morale and destroy value. Leaders who want their businesses to be all things to all people will usually stress their people, their budgets and their futures to breaking point.

The best leaders use the word ‘no’ a lot. They are confident in what makes their organisation fundamentally great and will say no to anything or anyone that will compromise that expertise.

They know the handful of things - sometimes just the one thing - that their company does very well and orientate the lion’s share of resources to those few things. This relentless focus ensures excellence, specialism and high value. Whether in business, charity or government, such leaders are very clear indeed about why their organisation exists, where they are heading, the difference that they can make to others and the inherent value that it creates. This informed confidence provides a strong foundation for decision making; these are not leaders that flip-flop in their major choices.

This is not to say that they are not innovative. The best leaders are constantly seeking to improve what their organisations do well and make something that’s good into something awesome. Whatever field they are in, such leaders press constantly forward, not so much reinventing the wheel but improving it. 

Here are some examples of situations we encounter frequently where a ‘no’ may be the most productive decision:

• appointing an OK candidate because there isn’t anyone else on the short-list.  

• offering services at a very low fee in the vague hope of winning a larger piece of work in the future. 

• providing a bespoke product to a specific client request, requiring frequent recalibration of machinery.  

• launching a service line that’s connected, but not core, to the business. 

• copying a competitor’s strategy. 

• changing the recipe on which the company’s brand has been built.  

• buying a business in the same sector but with a substantially different way of doing things.  

• entering an overseas market. 

• providing a non-core service as a favour, ‘just this once’.

It takes wisdom to know when to say no and courage to then do so. What will help you to say no more often?