{"id":169,"date":"2020-06-21T21:43:07","date_gmt":"2020-06-21T19:43:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/enriqueopi.com\/?p=169"},"modified":"2025-06-27T13:36:38","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T11:36:38","slug":"the-fight-that-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enriqueopi.com\/?p=169","title":{"rendered":"The Fight that Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\r\n

Why This Story Matters<\/h3>\r\n

Leadership is not measured by the number of arguments we win but by the number of people we lift. That\u2019s the why<\/strong> behind this story\u2014because when leaders pick their battles wisely, they protect innovation, strengthen trust, and keep their teams\u2019 energy aimed at what truly counts.<\/p>\r\n

The Reunion<\/h3>\r\n

Years after I\u2019d left the company for family reasons, our old team gathered on a windswept beach. Faces were older, laughter was the same. As I savored the moment, Rogier\u2014now a senior corporate lawyer\u2014tapped my shoulder.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n

Rogier:<\/strong> \u201cYou probably don\u2019t remember, but you once gave me the most valuable tip of my career.\u201d
Me:<\/strong> \u201cReally? Remind me.\u201d
Rogier:<\/strong> \u201cAfter I\u2019d clashed with marketing, you walked in, looked me straight in the eye, and said, \u2018Rogier, pick your battles.\u2019<\/strong> Then you showed me how.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

His words jolted me. I did remember that conversation. And in that instant I realized my small piece of feedback had multiplied through Rogier\u2019s career and the teams he now leads. That is the hidden power of a well-chosen battle\u2014and of a well-chosen silence.<\/p>\r\n

The Lesson: Pick Your Battles<\/h3>\r\n

When we fight every skirmish, we create \u201cNo\u201d inflation<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n

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    Too many no\u2019s<\/strong> and people tune us out; our objections fade into background noise.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n

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    Ego-driven no\u2019s<\/strong> suffocate creativity and signal that only the leader\u2019s ideas matter.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    Innovation dies\u2014not from one knockout punch, but from a thousand paper cuts of constant criticism.<\/p>\r\n

    Three Gut-Checks Before You Weigh In<\/h3>\r\n
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    1. \r\n

      Understand First<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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        Have I truly grasped the idea?<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n

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        Did I interrupt or zone out?<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n

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        Does this issue carry real risk or is it minor?<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n

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        Suspend Judgment<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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          Did I start crafting my rebuttal before the presenter finished?<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n

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          Am I searching for flaws just to prove I\u2019m the smartest person in the room?<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n

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          Reflect Back<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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            Can I faithfully paraphrase the presenter\u2019s core points?<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n

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            Will my suggestion materially improve the outcome?<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

            If your answer to any<\/em> of these is no<\/strong>, let the idea stand. Your silence is a gift of focus.<\/p>\r\n

            Turning No into a Better Yes<\/h3>\r\n

            When you do<\/em> see a critical gap:<\/p>\r\n

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              Join, don\u2019t oppose.<\/strong> Offer your insight as an enhancement, not a replacement.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n

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              Credit the originator.<\/strong> Public praise multiplies ownership and sparks more ideas.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n

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              Frame the purpose.<\/strong> Explain how the tweak advances the shared goal, not your ego.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

              When Your Ego Wants to Say Yes<\/h3>\r\n

              The flip side is compliance. Our egos love dispensing exceptions\u2014it feels powerful. Resist the reflexive yes<\/strong>:<\/p>\r\n

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                Use clear, objective criteria for any exemption.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n

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                Ensure the rule truly missed an unforeseen scenario.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n

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                Remember: a leader who respects the rules signals that everyone else should, too.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n

              • \u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                Conscious Leadership Tip #4.: Pick your battles.<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
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                  Use \u201cno\u201d sparingly<\/strong> so it commands attention when it matters.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n

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                  Use \u201cyes\u201d judiciously<\/strong> when rules and integrity are on the line.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n

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                  Let ideas<\/em> win, not egos.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                  When you master this balance, you become the conductor\u2014bringing out the best in every instrument, guiding the symphony toward a purpose bigger than any single score.<\/p>\r\n

                   <\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>Why This Story Matters Leadership is not measured by the number of arguments we win but by the number of people we lift. That\u2019s the why behind this story\u2014because when leaders pick their battles wisely, they protect innovation, strengthen trust, and keep their teams\u2019 energy aimed at what truly counts. The Reunion Years after I\u2019d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":203,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[57,17,56],"class_list":["post-169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-conscious","tag-consciousness","tag-ego"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/enriqueopi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/enriqueopi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/enriqueopi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enriqueopi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enriqueopi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=169"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/enriqueopi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":567,"href":"https:\/\/enriqueopi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169\/revisions\/567"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enriqueopi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/enriqueopi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enriqueopi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enriqueopi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}