Many leaders enjoy practicing leadership by achieving consensus. They are challenged by the actual process of achieving consensus and feel satisfied when the various parties come to agreement.

Consensus is a worthy approach in many situations. The process breaks down when the various stakeholders begin to venture down that well-travelled road, WIIFM, or what’s in it for me.

When this happens, consensus doesn’t happen. Consensus is about what’s best for the group, the organization, the constituency. When individual interests take over, consensus can’t work because the decisions are no longer about the organization.

Individual interests take over when the individual simply disagrees with the consensus. This can occur in the most “normal” of circumstances: when decisions are made by committee, by partner vote, or by management team, among many examples.

But they also show up when someone wants to grandstand or showcase or be rebellious. Your leadership is essential when individual interests rise to the surface. You need to drive a stake into the ground and get people refocused on organizational goals.

No, you won’t always please every stakeholder, and if you try to do so, eventually you’ll lose their respect and be perceived as a pushover.

You can gather opinions and consider different viewpoints, but at the end of the day, decisions need to be made about the good of the organization, not the wants of the individuals.

To be sure, give your stakeholders a voice. But your constituents need to experience leadership unity, not a display of WIIFM.

“The time is always right to do what’s right.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

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