Few moments test an executive’s communication skills more than disagreeing with the CEO or board. The stakes are high: get it right, and you build credibility as a trusted thought partner; get it wrong, and you risk being dismissed — or worse, seen as insubordinate.
The good news: disagreement doesn’t have to mean conflict. In fact, the best boards and CEOs value leaders who challenge constructively, broaden perspectives, and surface blind spots. The key is not whether you disagree, but how you do it.
Principles for Disagreeing Upward
1. Lead with Respect. Frame your disagreement as an additive contribution, not an attack. Try: “I’d like to share another perspective that may help us make the best decision.” Respect opens the door; defensiveness slams it shut.
2. Ask Clarifying Questions. Instead of declaring “That won’t work,” ask: “What assumptions are driving this approach?” Questions uncover the reasoning behind decisions — and create space for alternative ideas without immediate confrontation.
3. Anchor in Shared Goals. Tie your disagreement back to enterprise priorities. Example: “I hear the emphasis on speed. My concern is quality — because if we miss customer expectations, we risk long-term trust. How do we balance both?” Anchoring in shared goals reframes the conversation from me vs. you to us vs. the problem.
4. Use Evidence, Not Only Emotion. Passion is good, and with data, you can better persuade. Bring facts, examples, or lessons from other companies. The board and CEO may not agree with your conclusion, but they’ll respect the rigor.
5. Know When to Let Go. Sometimes, you’ve made your case, backed it with solid reasoning, and the decision still moves in another direction. That’s part of operating at the executive level. At that point, your job is to align and execute. Raising the same objection repeatedly after consensus has been reached erodes credibility.
Amazon’s “disagree and commit” principle is a powerful guide here. The idea: debate openly, decide collectively, and then execute wholeheartedly — even when the final call isn’t the one you championed. This is not compliance; it’s leadership maturity. Boards and CEOs don’t need universal agreement, but they do need unified execution. Your credibility grows when you can challenge constructively and commit fully once the path is chosen.
Example in Action
One senior leader I coached disagreed with her CEO on pursuing a rapid expansion strategy. Instead of saying “This is too risky,” she framed it differently:
She acknowledged the CEO’s focus on growth.
She asked clarifying questions about how risks were being modeled.
She shared data from a similar company that stumbled during fast expansion.
She then recommended an alternative path: phased expansion with milestone reviews.
Her respectful, evidence-based approach did not stop the expansion, but it did shift the board to adopt stronger guardrails. Her credibility increased — not because she won, but because she spoke with both courage and care.
Disagreeing with the CEO or board is not about “winning the argument.” It’s about shaping the conversation, surfacing risks, and influencing decisions while preserving trust. The leaders who master this skill are seen not as contrarians, but as essential partners in decision-making.
Reflection Question: The next time you disagree upward, how will you frame your point to add value rather than create friction? Comment and share below; we’d love to hear from you!
Quote of the Day: “Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.” – Jim Rohn
The next blog in this series 9/9 will focus on effective written comms.
As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to sharpen their executive communication skills, contact me to explore this topic further.
How do you disagree diplomatically?