[Music]
I'm a dissenter I live to disagree in
fact I'm a serial dissenter relentless
to the point of annoying and
deliberately provocative if I'm
dissenting it's because I'm listening
and I'm interested although to be honest
my wife would rather I just answer the
damn question
I believe we need to take care of the
serial dissenters amongst us
don't marginalize us make the most of
our unique skillset so what is a silly
ol dissenter well I think you know who
we are and I bet we piss you off
sometimes because we are the person that
doesn't give up on the questions now you
are presenting the idea that you have
spent ages preparing and then any
questions you ask actually yes we say
and we're off
have you thought about did you consider
did you know why did you can you tell me
more about it's a lot for the person on
the receiving end to take Judith Glaser
sums it up when she says that people
seek connections and appreciation not
criticism and judgment it's true when a
dissenter speaks up it can come across
as criticism never mind that the intent
is connection we don't mean to question
your effort or dispute your idea we see
ourselves as caring enough to disagree
we aim to improve upon it because
dissenters love the robust debate the
ideas and the action and we don't need
or seek credit we just really and truly
give a
although I knowledge we are very hard to
impress looking more closely a mentor of
mine puts it like this there are three
kinds of people colliders who need to
belong more than they need to be haired
adversity's who need to be haired more
than they need to belong and dissenters
who need to be heard and to belong and
when there's a system or a culture that
tolerates it the censors are given the
space to be both and that's when you see
great stuff happening at consulting
giant McKinsey
the obligation to dissent is in their
core values which they walk and talk
making sure the customer comes before
the firm when Alfred slow and ran
General Motors he would respond
discussion where everyone agreed with
him to have developed disagreement and
hedge funds like Bridgewater Capital
they credit their success to
implementing radical truthfulness well
it's an ideas meritocracy in all three
cases finding the smartest people to
disagree with is an integral stress test
even companies that pride themselves on
openness aren't really that comfortable
with it because hierarchy naturally
reduces dissent we're all guilty of it
dissenters included uber was so
intolerant to dissent that susan fowler
was forced public which saw the end of
their CEO Nokia crashed because social
pressure saw people afraid to admit that
it couldn't match what Apple were doing
and 42% of startups fail because he
actually make products that nobody wants
former vice president Hubert Humphrey
said that freedom is hammered out on the
Andal of discussion dissent and debate
in my opinion at this point in time
we don't have enough dissenters in
positions of power but we do have
dissent and those who seek to maintain
power are becoming less and less
tolerant of it from control talking
points to attacking a free press right
up to killing journalists and protesters
history shows that having yes-men is
rarely the driver of progress there
would be no Manhattan Project had
Roosevelt not been willing to listen to
outside advice and the Cuban Missile
Crisis was resolved because Kennedy
actively sought out dissent in contrast
to the way he handled the Bay of Pigs
years of study here in the Netherlands
by gear Hofstadter uses the power
distance index which establishes how
comfortable our population is with the
distribution of power so if you look at
these countries here in red these are
places where hierarchy is both accepted
and expected but this concentrates power
and that in turn crosses dissent
whereas countries like listen yellow
have a flatter hierarchy a more even
distribution of power and they punch
above their weight because they're more
often intolerant these are places you
would expect it to Aaron respect
studies show that 90% of companies
encourage conformity but within them the
non conformists are viewed as authentic
and credible and this has proven results
and where you have high inclusiveness
and diversity that is tolerance of
dissent you outperform you are nearly
twice as likely to be innovators you are
nearly three times more likely to be
able to identify and build leaders
nearly four times more likely to be able
to coach people for the improved
performance and you perform your peers
by 35% now I don't know if the sensors
are born or made I grew up in Scotland
we're arguing could be introduced as an
Olympic sport and and then I moved to
Australia where they would build an
elite academy for it
I'm gonna call it the Australian
Institute of bluntness through school
and my early career I got away with
being mouthy annoying and opinionated I
was able to talk my way into and out of
arguments because it is easier to give
dissent than to receive it as my career
progressed I had this glass ceiling
created by my lack of awareness I pissed
off enough people that my progress
stalled and coupled with my idealism I
found it hard to accept compromise or as
I saw it mediocrity now clearly I can't
read the signals I have been screamed at
in a board meeting because I just
wouldn't stop I've been fired
because it wasn't welcome and yet I
didn't stop now you might be wondering
if I'm stupid but I've got the mic so
let's go with naive for sure
and I have been outrageously wrong at
times insulting people when I just
wouldn't back down with my point I
really wish I could go back to shut my
mouth for me but there have been times I
wish I had dissented more I was once
made to hire someone who I knew wasn't
ready but to get along with the group I
relented when I was told to fire them
they attempted suicide as much as I knew
that wasn't my fault I sought help
through therapy and this is where my
awareness increased and I became better
at controlling my dissenting urges so
these experiences came with lessons
which I would like to share if you're a
serial dissenter in a hierarchical
organization you're in the wrong place
go and find your tribe if you're going
to give descent you must accept it in
return
now I struggle with that too but I work
alongside the serial dissenter who
reminds me way too frequently that I
must continue to accept it
watch your persistence people get tired
of telling you to stop when you really
should you're not always right but
because you speak up and others don't
your opinion holds sway so you need to
look for the compromise and find a
strong leader to watch your back because
you are always making waves somewhere if
you're a leader and you struggle to
accept dissent work on it your ability
to tolerate dissent feels finite it
isn't if you feel threatened by the
center ask yourself there's dissent
really hurt or is it your ego are you
afraid of being wronged concerned about
losing control remember listening does
not mean agreeing but it does show that
you care and it's our responsibility as
leaders to ensure that everyone can
contribute
Kalu ters we don't need the relentless
positivity
so don't promote it by putting down
dissent look to the interns there are
nearly three times more likely to
dissent on principle which is an amazing
values check adversary's you need to be
heard and so do we try dissenting
against us we're comfortable with it and
we will hear you heart assume good
intent
it's a great way to engage dissent it
demonstrates humility and a willingness
to listen and it recognizes we all say
things the wrong way when we mean them
the right way so let's not be so harsh
on each other if you're willing to hear
me out
I'm willing to hear you out but of
course you may disagree thank you
[Applause]