Things Leaders Do

Consensus vs. Buy-In (And Why You're Chasing the Wrong One)


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Use a "disagree and commit" approach instead of chasing consensus. Consensus means everyone agrees (impossible). Buy-in means everyone commits even when they don't fully agree (achievable). Stop trying to make everyone happy and start getting everyone committed to moving forward together.

You've been in the same meeting for six weeks. You're still trying to get everyone to agree. You keep tweaking the proposal. You keep accommodating concerns. And nothing's happening.

The average executive spends 23 hours per week in meetings. And a huge chunk of that is spent trying to reach consensus on decisions that could have been made in 30 minutes.

You'll learn:

  • Why chasing consensus kills your credibility as a leader
  • What buy-in actually sounds like (and why it's different from agreement)
  • How to create a culture where people disagree in the room and commit in the hallway
  • What to do when someone won't commit no matter what you try
  • How to spot fake buy-in and address it immediately

Questions this episode answers:

  • What's the difference between consensus and buy-in?
  • How do I get my team to commit to decisions they don't agree with?
  • Why does chasing consensus create terrible decisions?
  • What is Amazon's "Disagree and Commit" principle?
  • How do I handle someone who won't commit to team decisions?

Key takeaway: You can't make everyone agree. But you can get everyone to commit. Consensus is impossible. Buy-in is achievable.

Connect with Colby Morris:

  • Website: nxtstepadvisors.com
  • LinkedIn: Colby Morris

Colby works with organizations through keynote speaking, executive coaching, and leadership training to build people-first cultures that get results.

  • Colby's LinkedIn Profile
  • Things Leaders Do Instagram


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Things Leaders DoBy Colby Morris

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