In every workforce, you will find people who are highly agreeable. They agree to everything that is told to them and asked of them. These are the type of people who will not bring about any change in the system. These are the type who will not innovate. Because the ‘yes people’ are operating from a place of fear and are scared to unruffle feathers. They are afraid of backlash from their team members, they are afraid of job loss and they are afraid of poor reviews from their superiors during performance appraisal.
Those who are ‘yes people’ need to introspect and seek help to heal their insecurities. Being overly conscientious is a sign of anxiety and depression. We shouldn’t glorify people who say yes to everything.
Additionally, we need to foster an environment where team members are encouraged to voice their views, express dissent, and say no. Team leaders must honestly examine themselves and take 360-degree feedback to find out whether they are driven by the Will to Power than the Will to Meaning. Having a fixed mindset, being inflexible, and suppressing expression are signs of a leader who is crippled by his/her own fears. I have seen leaders of organizations role model empathic leadership and are open-minded but not all team leaders who work under them do the same with their teams. Some team leaders prefer members who have a slave mentality to avoid discomfort caused by independent thinkers.
Team leaders who are control freaks, authoritarian, insecure, and obsessed with power need to be replaced with those who treat their team members as valuable contributors and encourage divergent thinking to disrupt, and innovate.
