Page 248 - Fearless Leadership

Aligning Emotionally and Intellectually 235

he trusted their judgment and would go along with whatever decision they
made. The group participated in rigorous and heated discussions and
finally reached a decision: “This is not the right time to introduce this prod-
uct to the market.” They unanimously vetoed introducing the new prod-
uct in the next 12 months. Ron was miffed; he had not anticipated “group
rejection” of the new product. He sulked for several days after the meet-
ing, then at the next meeting he announced that he had decided to over-
ride the group decision and bring the product to market in the next quarter.
The group felt betrayed, not because Ron made the decision, but
because he broke his commitment and reneged on the rules of engage-
ment for a Type 3 decision. This is one of the worst mistakes a leader can
make—telling a group that you will support their decision, and then
changing your mind because their decision does not match your prefer-
ence. Many months later, Ron’s group was still stinging from the debacle
and withheld their discretionary effort. Their reasoning: “Why should
we give Ron our full effort when he so easily discards his commitments
to the group?”
It is critically important to understand that if you endorse a Type 3 deci-
sion, you are not well served by invoking your veto power when you do
not like the result. Make sure you are truly willing to suspend your veto
power before you commit to a Type 3 decision. If you are not sure you
can do this then make a Type 2 decision. A Type 3 decision must be strictly
reserved for genuine group decisions.
If you are a group member, you have an accountability to make sure
everyone is committed to a Type 3 decision, especially the team leader.
This is where making a clear and direct request is essential. Before the dis-
cussion begins, ask, “Are you willing to suspend your veto power and go
along with the group decision even if you don’t agree with it?” Your ques-
tion will help the team leader carefully consider his or her commitment
and will reinforce the rules of engagement for a Type 3 decision.

The Five Levels of Alignment: Clearly Identifying
Where Everyone Stands
The informal question “Do we all agree?” is often asked in meetings.
Having no other option than to agree or disagree, many people nod and
comply. The tragedy is that complying is often mistaken as alignment, until