1. Say Yes to No: The Power of No in Leadership
A Webinar for
Best Practice Institute
BPI Journal

Greg Cootsona
April 3, 2009

2. Say Yes to No Basic Concept:
In order to make our yeses flourish in life, work, and love, we need to state decisive and strategic nos

3. We Chisel Our Lives Through the Art of Negation
Michelangelo simply “chipped away all that wasn’t David”
We need to chip away at our lives with creative nos so that we can find beauty, excellence, and success

4. The Rhythms of No and the Secret of Sabbath
Say no to work minutes each day
Say no to obligations one day a week
Discover new energy, insight, and creativity

5. The Urgency of Strategic Breaks: Say Yes to NO
Dr. Herbet Harvard Medical School recommends “breakouts”
Stressed? Do something different: Beat a drum, walk, listen to U2 or Bach
Engages brain “coherence”
Releases nitric oxide or NO

6. Know the Changes: Improv in Leadership
Know the (chord changes)
Know your instrument
Listen to others in the combo
Improvise!

7. Practicing the Changes
Where have you worked to “know your instrument”--to learn the core competencies--in your field?
Do you prefer more structure or more spontaneity? Have you structured your workday accordingly?
How are you listen to your ensemble at work?

8. Integrity: Do You No Who You Are?
Sincerity and Sine Cerus (“without wax”)
Do we melt under the hot sun of adversity and peer pressure?

9. Why Do We Compromise?
Expediency: We believe that corners must be cut. If that means the truth suffers, so be it.
Peer pressure: “Everyone else is doing it.” So who will notice or even care?
Pressures from higher up: Our bosses tell us to get the job done no matter what. And we’d like to keep our job.
The ends justify the means
“No one will ever know”: We imagine that the decision or act will never be discovered.
Fear: We tremble before authorities or before the consequences of the truth.

10. No Who You Are No lies to yourself or anyone else
No to corrupting influences around us
No to pleasing others
No to compromising key values
No (sometimes) to discouraging authorities

11. Our Nos Lead to Yes The point: To find a life worth living
My hope: You will discover beauty, excellence, and true success
What questions do you have?