Drive Change Through Questions

This is one of the few posts that I've given a different title to the one that the author chose. The content is good, but framing your leadership team as a bull doesn't really sit right with me.

That being said, there's a lot of value in the post. It highlights why leading with data alone to change an exec's mind is unlikely to succeed. Direct challenge with data triggers defensiveness, and may not be accurate if they have more information than you do.

Instead, ask questions. Things like "what needs to be true for this this project to succeed?" and "what happens if that's not true and the project is delayed by a month? Three months?". This helps you understand the constraints and may reveal additional information (e.g. "We need X to happen, and team Y is already working on it. They'll deliver by Z").

People dislike being questioned, but they love giving advice. Try framing your questions as asking for help:

“If we needed to hit this timeline and a key dependency slipped, how would we adjust? What would you do first?”

By being curious and asking your leader for help rather than stating "these timelines are too short", you can build a role as a trusted advisor rather than a thorn in their side.