In politics, as in business, there's a temptation to stand firm. Stick to your guns. 'Strong leadership,' the headlines demand. But I believe that true leadership, the sort that endures, understands nuance. And if the early months of the current Labour Government have shown us anything, it's this: you don't have to win every battle to win the war.
Watching the UK government navigate internal opposition to its welfare reform proposals has been instructive. When Prime Minister, Kier Starmer responded to significant pressure from his own MPs and adjusted the plans, many in the media leapt to frame it as a climbdown, a weakness, even a failure. I saw something different. I saw pragmatism. I saw leadership. It reminded me of a principle I've long held in business: the most successful leaders aren't the ones who always push through at any cost, but the ones who know when to yield, and more importantly, why.
Let's be honest. Many of us in leadership positions got here because we were decisive, bold, and often, stubborn. We're used to driving results, defending strategy, and convincing others of our vision. But the higher you go, the more dangerous it becomes to believe you're the smartest person in the room.
You can't lead from the top with your ears closed. What you can do is accept defeat now and then, and feel comfortable performing a U-turn. As a fellow CEO once told me: "High-performing teams should love a good argument. The best leaders fight hard for what they believe, with honesty and conviction. But they also know when to let go, back their colleagues, and move forward together."
Judging the mood music
One of the hardest lessons I've learned as a CEO is that standing down isn't always standing back. Sometimes it's stepping forward, into a broader, more strategic position. And it should be communicated in that vein. When you sense a groundswell of concern from your team, shareholders, or even the market, it pays to pause and listen.
The Labour leadership did just that. Faced with internal resistance, they reassessed. Not because they were weak, but because they understood that unity, and longevity, sometimes require recalibration.
In boardrooms, this plays out more often than we admit. I once led a major strategic pivot in a business that involved significant restructuring. On paper, it made perfect sense. The numbers added up. The consultants nodded approvingly. But my leadership team was uneasy. They weren't resistant out of laziness or risk-aversion. They simply had better on-the-ground knowledge. They could see unintended consequences I hadn't considered.
I stepped back. Not forever, but enough to co-create a version of the plan that worked with them, not against them. We lost a week on the timeline, but gained three years of loyalty, and a much more sustainable result.
Trust the experts in the room
If there's one thing leaders must do more of, it's trusting the experts they hire. Labour's concessions weren't random. They were informed by MPs who understood the human impact of policy at a grassroots level. Likewise, in business, if someone on your team has spent their whole career in logistics, or HR, or compliance, and they raise a red flag, don't override them just because you have the corner office.
This is especially critical as businesses become more complex and global. No single leader can hold all the information. Delegation isn't just about workload, it's about trust. If you're not actively listening to the experts in the room, you're not leading. You're gambling.
It will always help to seek second opinions, make an informed decision as a collective.
Keep your eyes on the horizon
Then there's the long game. The finest leaders resist the allure of short-term wins that compromise long-term strategy. Political parties face this pressure every day. Headlines demand action, polls shift with the wind, and social media amplifies every misstep. But the smart ones know that true impact takes time.
Business is no different. I've seen leaders cling to legacy projects because abandoning them might look like failure. But dragging a flawed idea across the finish line out of bloody-mindedness? That's not leadership. That's ego.
Sometimes, a climbdown is the most strategic move you can make. You lose a battle to preserve the campaign. You give a little to gain a lot.
Don't fall in love with your own ideas
Let me offer one final caution: Don't fall in love with your own ideas. Elon Musk is an extreme example of a business leader whose belief in his own brilliance sometimes blinds him to valid criticism or better alternatives. But the truth is, we're all susceptible. We pour time, energy, and reputation into a strategy, and then feel too invested, or too proud, to roll it back. But our job as leaders isn't to win every argument. It's to do what's right for the business.
So how do you know when to yield? Ask yourself: Am I resisting because I truly believe I'm right, or because I fear being seen as wrong? Are my team's objections rooted in expertise, or resistance to change? Will standing firm help us reach our long-term goals, or just protect my short-term reputation?
If your answers leave you feeling uneasy, it might be time to reassess.
