How to Disagree with Someone More Powerful than You?

Most people tend to overplay the risks involved in speaking up. “Our natural bias is to start by imagining all the things that will go horribly wrong,” Grenny says. Yes, your counterpart might be surprised and a little upset at first. But chances are you’re not going to get fired or make a lifelong enemy. He suggests you first consider “the risks of not speaking up” perhaps the project will be derailed or you’ll lose the team’s trust then realistically weigh those against the potential consequences of taking action.