You don’t need their agreement

Dear friends,

Early in my career, there were meetings where I knew exactly what I wanted to say.

And I didn’t say it.

Not because I wasn’t prepared. Not because I lacked insight. But because I wasn’t sure the room would agree.

Somewhere inside, I had quietly decided that if they didn’t agree with me, I had failed. That belief will silence you faster than a lack of skill ever will.

What I’ve learned since is this: you don’t need their agreement. You need your own.

In high-pressure rooms, especially when senior leaders are present, it’s natural to scan for approval:

Will this land?

Will they push back?

What if I’m wrong?

That subtle need for validation pulls your attention outward, and the moment your attention leaves you, your voice loses steadiness.

You begin editing yourself in real time. Softening your language. Diluting your point.

But strong leaders don’t speak because they’re certain everyone will agree. They speak because what they’re offering is thoughtful, aligned, and true in that moment. Agreement is not the goal. Alignment is.

This doesn’t mean being reckless or rigid. You still prepare. You still listen. You stay open to being wrong and evolving.

But you release the need to be universally approved.

Because paradoxically, the less you need agreement, the more grounded you become. And grounded leaders are trusted.

So before your next meeting, instead of asking, “Will they agree with me?” try asking, “Do I agree with what I’m about to say?”

That shift alone can bring you back to center.

And from center, your voice carries differently.

With you,

Ryan Justin Jackson