Skilled Leaders Know How to Practice Strategic Defiance

With the right tools, leaders can learn to pause, reflect, and act in alignment with their values, even when doing so carries risk.

Defiance isn’t about being difficult. It’s about being principled. It’s not about conflict. It’s about alignment. And when modeled well by those in positions of power, it has a ripple effect, making it safer for others to do the same. Here are two practical frameworks to help leaders build strategic defiance: the Five Stages of Defiance, which maps out the internal journey many face when resisting pressure, and the Defiance Compass, a tool for finding your way through difficult decisions. Together, they offer a roadmap for moving from instinct to intentional action

You can read my full article in Harvard Business Review.