This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication:

• What to Do When Your Best Idea Gets Rejected​
• On the Show: Communication Advice That's Hurting Your Career​
• Book Recommendation: Can a Company Grow Without Losing Its Soul?​

*** You can now enroll in the Speak Like A CEO Academy live Fall Cohort, starting in August. My promise: You become a top 1% communicator in 9 weeks. 10 seats only. ***

What to Do When Your Best Idea Gets Rejected

"That wouldn't work here."

Who hasn't heard that before?

Recently, I suggested that a client encourage employees to share what they do on social media.

Done well, employee-generated content increases visibility, strengthens employer branding, and attracts customers.

One leader immediately pushed back: "We'd lose too much control."

If handled badly, objections like that can shut down the discussion of your idea.

So what do you do when someone publicly rejects your idea?

How do you win over the room without alienating the very person whose support you need?

The good thing is, objections aren't the enemy. They're often a sign that people are engaged.

Here's how I approach them:

1/ Anticipate Objections

Before your meeting or presentation, brainstorm potential concerns your audience might raise. Prepare thoughtful, well-researched answers to these objections.

2/ Consider Both Emotional and Logical Objections

Objections can stem from both logic and emotion.

Logical objections might focus on facts and figures, while emotional objections could relate to fears or resistance to change. Tailor your responses accordingly:

For logical objections: Provide data, case studies, or expert opinions.

For emotional objections: Use empathy, storytelling, and reassurance.

3/ Connect with Your Audience

Build trust by listening, acknowledge challenges, and show genuine interest in your audience's perspectives.

It softens the ground for potential objections later.

4/ Welcome Feedback, Don't Get Defensive

When objections arise, resist the urge to become defensive.

Instead, welcome feedback as an opportunity to clarify and improve your ideas. Thank the person and respond calmly and professionally.

5/ Validate the Concern

Instead of arguing, acknowledge it.

"You're right. This approach won't look exactly the same in every organization."

People are far more willing to listen once they feel heard.

6/ Turn Critics Into Collaborators

Ask: "What would need to change for this to work in your environment?" or “Do you see any way in which this could work here?”

Now you're solving the problem together instead of debating who is right.

7/ Challenge Assumptions (Gently)

Rather than pushing back, ask:

"Have you tried something similar before?"

Questions create reflection. Statements often create resistance.

8/ Reframe the Conversation.

Shift from cost to value. From risk to opportunity. From obstacles to outcomes.

9/ Paraphrase Before Responding

"If I understand correctly, your concern is..."

This shows you're listening and often uncovers the real issue.

I've found that the goal is rarely to win the argument.

The goal is to build enough trust that people are willing to explore a different perspective.

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ON THE SHOW

Communication Advice That's Hurting Your Career

▶️ Episode 335 on YouTube, Spotify or Apple.

We've all heard it:

"Speak slowly."

It sounds like timeless communication advice. In reality, it's outdated, and it’s hurting your career.

For 5000 years, speakers had to project their voices across huge crowds – in ancient amphitheaters, churches, or public squares. Speaking slowly helped people hear every word.

Now it leads to word starvation, because people can process information far faster than you can speak.

The real secret isn't speaking fast or slow. It's varying your pace.

Speed creates energy. Slowing down creates emphasis.

Great communicators have range. They deliberately change their rhythm to keep listeners engaged and highlight the moments that matter most.

Communication has changed dramatically over the last decade, yet much of the advice we still hear hasn't.

This is just one example. This week on Speak Like a CEO, I'll share nine more pieces of outdated communication advice – and what the best communicators do instead.

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BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Can a Company Grow Without Losing Its Soul?

Eric Ries is best known for The Lean Startup, the 2011 book that transformed how entrepreneurs build and test new businesses. In Incorruptible, he tackles a different question: why do so many successful companies eventually lose their soul?

His answer is that it rarely happens overnight. As organizations grow, they come under increasing financial pressure. Incentives shift, bureaucracy expands, and short-term targets begin to crowd out the mission that made the company successful in the first place.

Ironically, that pursuit of short-term financial performance often hurts long-term results.

Ries shows that there is another path. Through numerous examples, he contrasts companies that drift from their purpose with “mission-locked” organizations that protect their values as they scale – and ultimately outperform because of it, not despite it.

The book explains so much of what we see in our day-to-day interactions with large organizations.

It also challenges the assumption that companies face a choice between doing what's right for customers and employees or delivering strong financial results. Ries makes a convincing case, with plenty of real-world examples, that the opposite is true.

The organizations that stay true to their mission don't underperform because of their values; they outperform because of them.

Have an inspired weekend,

Oliver

PS: Join my live cohort – small group, big results.

Eo Ipso Communications GmbH

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