Love 'Em or Lose 'Em, 4th Edition

Chapter 25YIELD Power Down

Too bad my boss always needed to be right!

—A.J.

Think about being on a highway on-ramp in a busy city, at an intersection with no stop signs, or in a line forming at the movies. When someone says, “No, you go first,” with a smile and gesture, you may think how remarkable and rare that action is.

Similarly, in many workplaces, yielding is all too rare. It appears that most managers want to hang on to their power and prestige once they finally have it. In the short term, it may feel great to be so important or powerful, but there will be costs in the long term.

Research and our own experience teach us that when you yield occasionally to your employees, you empower them to think for themselves, to be more creative, more ...