I recently worked with a CEO who taught me some great lessons in management.  One of the best I learned was that strong leaders must set clear and steady vision, and the leader can’t get drawn into a battle of “Yeah, buts”.  So, what is a “Yeah, but”?

A “yeah, but” describes a tiny attack on your vision, where someone on the team is trying to draw you into making exceptions.  They may say, “Yeah, I like your vision, but…” or “Yeah, I agree, but sometimes what you are saying isn’t true…”   or “Yeah, that’s generally true, but there are exceptions.  Like…”

If you get sucked into a “Yeah, but” discussion, then your vision will constantly become watered down.  Your team will realize that you don’t necessarily believe the words you are saying.  They will take advantage of your perceived weakness and wavering.  At the same time, you realize you may need some exceptions.  So how do you handle the need for exceptions or interpretation?

When you hire strong subordinates, you can empower them to interpret and apply your clear and unwavering vision in a way that enables them to move their teams forward consistent with your vision, but in a way that allows them to make small adaptations as needed.  In this way, your clear message and your focused vision remains strong and can be followed.  This is critical because your team needs to trust that your organization has a clarity of purpose.  They need to understand the principles against which they can operate on a daily basis.  Your clear vision is essential to developing their confidence in the organization’s direction.  Of course, you need to trust that your subordinates will interpret your vision properly.  Occasionally, when they move off course, you can nudge them back in the right direction.  By staying above the “Yeah, buts” you can lead strongly, instill confidence, and still allow your company to move forward.