Have we been sold a lie about collaboration? More voices don’t always lead to better decisions. Consensus doesn’t guarantee buy-in. It often produces the worst of all worlds.
Jeff Bezos encapsulates this with his famous “disagree and commit” principle. For instance, if one strategist argues for a bold, disruptive campaign and another for a safe, traditional approach, compromise delivers a “moderately bold” campaign; watering down the disruption while losing the trust that comes with proven methods. You get mediocrity disguised as compromise.
Instead, choose a direction based on conviction, not consensus. Let people voice disagreement, then commit fully to the chosen path. This creates better outcomes than lukewarm agreement from everyone.
Too much collaboration kills execution. When everyone has input, no one takes ownership. Real collaboration is about getting the right people engaged at the right time.
“It’s perfectly healthy—encouraged, even—to have an idea tomoarrow that contradicted your idea today.”
– Jeff Bezos
