When you face into opposition, dissent or contrary opinions, what do you do? Do you stand your ground or cave in?
This makes a big difference to the results you get, and the respect you get. Yet it has to be done well to avoid significant short and long-term problems.
Firstly, whatever the issue at hand is, you have to be fully confident of your ground in a substantive way. That means you need to be prepared with rationale arguments, structured argumentation and experience of having successfully argued your case.
Next, you have to be experienced at standing up for your opinions against all comers. Standing your ground, especially against tough, battle-hardened campaigners, requires considerable strength.
It is also rather important that you don’t over-step the mark. It is a delicate call how hard to respond and when to push back. Some rise to every challenge because they feel the strong and immediate need to be right.
What is required is political common sense. Understanding the likely impact your push-back will have, within the bigger picture context, is vital. You may be right, but pushing your line-manager into an embarrassing position with their peers/superiors will likely come back to bite you at your next appraisal.
So, wisdom is required as you stand your ground.
Finally, emotional resilience is mission-critical if you are to successfully stand your ground in the most professional, timely and appropriate manner. This means you need to learn the skill of channelling your emotions toward the positive, and allowing your cool head to take control when tense situations arise.
There is a lot to learn here, and often this comes quite naturally with time and experience. That said, you can move it forward a lot faster with conscious developmental practice.
And, when you do arrive there, wow.
What you will then gain is a highly polished sense of self, gravitas, confidence and a relaxed influential presence that will provide escalating results in your career, and in your life.
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- Rolling with the Punches
- Developing Tenacity when Facing Opposition
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