Published September 22, 2024 · 4 min read

When managing managers or leaders, there will be times when you feel that the right course of action differs from their opinion. It could be related to rating an employee, deciding whether to give someone a second chance, or focusing on a particular business area. You see the situation differently, yet your people leader holds a contrary view. After all, we hire smart people to make the right decisions.

It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs captures the essence of leadership, and overriding your leader’s decision might seem counterintuitive to this principle. Nevertheless, there are instances where you may have additional insights that your manager might not be aware of, such as upcoming layoffs, new business investments and so on. In these cases, you may feel strongly about overriding their decision.

Keep calm and override

The Problem With Direct Override

The biggest issue with a direct override is that it undermines your leader’s authority. You don’t want to weaken their position or make them feel powerless. So, don’t do that. The solution lies in building consensus, accepting resistance and making the final call rather than taking blunt action.

Building Consensus

The approach I advocate is gradual and thoughtful. Start by subtly hinting at your point of view during your 1:1s. Provide details about why you believe your approach is better. Remember this isn’t a competition. You just want to make sure you have the best business outcome. Over time, as you continue to discuss these points, your leader is likely to start aligning with your perspective.

Before a final decision is even made, ask them what they think and engage them in a conversation about whether your proposed path could be a better option. This way, you fight two battles in one go. First, you avoid directly overriding their decision, and second, you stay true to the course of action you believe in. It’s a win-win situation.

Accepting Resistance

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your people leader may resist your suggestions. And that’s okay. We hire people for their judgment, and you won’t win every battle. Learning to let go is key because, in the end, you don’t want to be the one managing everything. We need to empower our leaders to make their own decisions, even if they don’t always align with our views.

My management style is quite simple and I use the term "fire and forget" to describe it. I assign a task or responsibility, and then I step back because I trust my people to execute it. This is crucial for maintaining a healthy working relationship and fostering leadership in my team.

When You Must Override

If you find yourself in a situation where you must override your people leader, it should never come as a surprise. You need to have an honest, direct conversation with them, making it clear that this is the course you are taking. Take responsibility. This is your decision, not theirs. And make sure you have solid reasons to back it up. If your decision leads to unfavorable outcomes or turns into a complete disaster, own it and take responsibility.

The other thing is your own reasoning. You can’t simply say, “I have a gut feeling.” Provide examples and data to explain your reasoning. Ultimately, you are the boss, and sometimes you’ll need to make tough calls. Once the decision is made, the leader needs to accept it and move on. That’s one of those moments of disagreement and commitment. Your leader should still execute on the decision. This is a key to harmony in a large organization.

I know overriding a leader’s decision is delicate but sometimes we have to do it. First, do your homework, back your reasoning. Then, start building consensus and having open conversations helps maintain trust and leadership integrity. And when it’s unavoidable, be clear, be respectful, and take responsibility. Empower your leaders, but don’t hesitate to step in when the business requires it.