Stay with it
"Stay With It"
I used this phrase twice in client sessions the other week.
In both cases, an executive team member sensed something wasn’t quite right. For example, imagine a company had critical operational outcomes to achieve in the next quarter. However, a key team’s stated priorities lacked the necessary focus and urgency to deliver those outcomes. One executive raised a concern: "I’m just not sure how these priorities are moving the company forward."
Before the conversation could unfold, others—including the CEO—jumped in to justify the "softer" priorities. The executive who raised it, then let their inquiry go, and the moment passed. That’s when I stepped in and encouraged him to "stay with it"...which he did!
By holding onto his curiosity and continuing to question, he helped the team uncover a real gap in their execution plan. They hadn’t placed enough focus and collaboration on the most critical deliverables. By refining their priorities, they aligned themselves to deliver exactly what was needed for that quarter.
For executives and leaders, here are two key questions to consider:
How are you creating space for your team to explore their hunches?
Are you fostering healthy debate where opposing views are encouraged, explored, and lead to better decisions? Bonus points if you can create these discussions without being in the centre of them :-)
Your team brings valuable perspectives and insights—but not everyone is equally confident in voicing them. As a leader, you owe it to them (and the business) to draw out their curiosity. Because sometimes, staying with it is what leads to real breakthroughs.
Grow well
Adam