I was at dinner with friends last night explaining a joint venture several of us at the table are about to embark upon. I said something that’s been marinating in my head ever since. When trying to come up with the name for our organization, I threw out a couple options. My partners rejected my first few suggestions. They told me no.
What’s been ruminating in my brain ever since is how foundational that is to the health and fruitfulness of any organization. A good leader should never fear questions or dissent. A good team will be comprised of the strongest members who are allowed to freely exercise those strengths.
Contradictory character flaws can make leaders afraid of hearing the word no. Personal insecurity arises when you are afraid people will find out you don’t have all the answers. Arrogance is unveiled when someone dares question that you have all the answers.
Both are dumb.
You don’t have all the answers. You are a fallible human being with limited knowledge. You are also an extraordinary human being with knowledge that can be beneficial to whatever groups you serve. When I chaired a committee for Florida League of Cities comprised of 75 politicians, I started each meeting with the same statement:
“You are the most important person in this room because you are the only one with your experience and expertise. You are also the least important person in this room because your experience and expertise are the only ones you have.”
I led with that because it then freed me to stop someone from dominating the conversation or draw out the thoughts of some of our quieter members. Productive teams recognize both the individual and collective value of their members.
Today I’ll be sworn in as President of the GFWC Historic Brooksville Woman’s Club for our 114th year. I’ll become the second woman (following Lena Hawkins) to serve as Mayor of Brooksville and then become Club President. Lena’s legacy is one of building strong teams and almost 100 years later, we still benefit from her efforts. She designed and built our clubhouse, organized the most successful Chamber of Commerce founding in the history of the United States, and helped form our first library. She spearheaded downtown beautification efforts and her trees still stand today.
She didn’t accomplish those things by being a dictator or by demanding to be the smartest person in the room. When I look at the membership list from her years of leadership, it is full of superstar women. I can guarantee they didn’t always agree. But they succeeded because they brought their brightest and best ideas to the table and hashed issues out. In the spirit of my friend and fellow Mayor, Frankie Burnett, they knew how to “disagree without being disagreeable.”
Here are the questions I’m asking myself and would encourage you to ask yourself as well:
When I walk into a room, are people more or less likely to be honest about what they think? Are people afraid my opinion of them will change if they challenge my ideas?
I’m glad my team told me no. We ended up with a way cooler name that led to show-stopping branding. More importantly, the team members know their voice matters at the table. That means they’ll stay engaged on the team. And we’ll keep producing successful projects.
I’ll put those results up against any dictator every day of the week.
Want to dominate the world? Cultivate an atmosphere where every team member’s voice matters.
Article on the history of the BVL Woman’s Club kept in one of our scrapbooks.
Natalie Kahler 
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