Why Leaders Should Foster Intelligent Disobedience in Followers

Encouraging followers to speak up when something is wrong is a key to avoiding disaster.

In his book, Intelligent Disobedience, Ira Chaleff29 begins with the example of a guide dog for the blind. Guide dogs are trained that if its owner gives the dog a command that would put the owner (and the dog) in danger, for instance, crossing the street when it is unsafe, the dog will disobey. In the world of work, an analogy would be a member of a flight crew who believes that the captain is about to make a dangerous mistake, and speaks up.

Teams can get into a pattern of simply going along — in this case, with the leader’s decision, even when the individual knows that the decision or course of action is wrong.

How do you foster intelligent disobedience in followers?

Encourage Employee Voice. Leaders should create a climate of openness, where employees feel free to speak up. As one CEO said, “we have a culture where even the lowest-ranking member of the organization can come up to me and tell me if they think I’m doing something wrong.”

Train Followers to Be Appropriately Assertive. All too often, employees are unsure how to go about communicating their concerns upward in the chain of command. Teaching members to be assertive appropriately (meaning that some situations call for direct action, while others may call for more subtle and tactful action) can help.

Realize the Importance of Team Support. Research clearly shows that it is extremely hard for a lone individual to go against the grain. Letting members know that they can seek support from colleagues or superiors in their effort to change the course, can help employees develop the courage to speak up.

Learn to Accept Criticism. From the leader’s perspective, it is important to recognize and accept the fact that intelligent disobedience is necessary to avoid potential problems. Chaleff says that “CEOs have told me, ‘What keeps me up at night is that my people aren’t telling me what I need to hear.”

For Development: Consider how you can encourage transparency and open communication in your team or organization. What sorts of safeguards are, or could be, put in place to help recognize problems before they happen?