Young Leader // Forget The Practice of Saying No

Well, not completely. Here’s what I mean…

There’s a lesson many leaders and people in general get told that goes something like, “You’ve gotta learn to say no.”

I understand the sentiment behind that statement and it’s certainly a good practice in some cases… In a few cases. Sometimes, we have to say no to people in order to avoid burning our candle at both ends and burning out at a young age.

Sometimes, we have to say no to protect our time with our families and in order to concentrate on what’s most important. We have to say no on occasion, no matter who we are.

But,

We should probably say yes more often.

You see, in saying “yes,” we get to experience new things and go to new places. When we say yes, we get to know people in new ways and impact people in larger measures. Every “no” we give someone when we’re asked to go somewhere or do something is a missed opportunity to grow ourselves and learn from the people around us.

If you’re asked to do something, go somewhere, to try something new, try to say, “yes.” Try to find a reason and a way to do it rather than looking for a reason to say “no.”

Just a thought. Your thoughts?