Don the boxing gloves in the office?

Before you present an idea or suggestion in a group setting, make sure you believe in what you’re saying. Why? Because other people will argue against it. Some because they have their own point of view, others because they simply enjoy shooting down ideas. But good results can come from debates that take place when people go head to head over ideas they truly believe in or truly hate. Organizations usually benefit from meetings where there are strong arguments for different viewpoints.

In his book Leadership (Miramax Books), Rudy Giuliani says that the “fur could fly” in the meetings of his top staff, and that he found debates extremely helpful in his decision-making process. “I always make a better decision if I hear three or four different views,” he says. “If those advocating those viewpoints do so forcefully and with passion, all the better.”

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