Here's how you can navigate feedback from senior leaders at a conference that you disagree with.

Use the "Yes, And" technique from improv theater - 1. Recognize senior leader's input - shows respect & active listening. 2. Add your perspective & incorporate elements of leader feedback. 3. Propose your idea as a small-scale experiment - reduces risk 4. Sketch out your idea or prototype to make abstract concepts visually real. 5. Ask questions to explore new possibilities & challenge assumptions. 6. Suggest working together to refine feedback and your ideas "I appreciate your perspective on [their feedback]. I wonder if we could build on that by [your idea]. What if we ran a small experiment to test this approach? I've sketched out a quick concept - would you be open to exploring how we might integrate both of our ideas?"

Nobody will ever tell you that you listen too much. Listening is the most underrated, most important skills there is in any career or occupation. By listening you acquire knowledge, and knowledge is power. Listen fully and you will always have an advantage.

Of course, it is important to listen carefully to the entire feedback, but it is at least as important not to consider this to be a personal attack. It is not easy, but before answering it is important to understand as clearly as possible what the feedback refers to. Ask clarifying questions and only after that, if you have objections, formulate them in an assertive way.

Listening alone won't bring you anywhere if you don't act on what you've listened to. And the first step to action is to reflect on what you listened to in an unbiased way. Honest reflection will help you process the information you learned via full listening and will help you craft a plan of action. Don't skip honest reflection or you will regret it.

If your questions are driven by honest curiosity and willingness to learn and understand, it is very rare that they will be taken badly. Additionally, it is a wise thing to be polite, and conversely, it is not a wise thing to be rude. So combine your honest and fair point of view with a polite approach and your questions are definitely going to be addressed.

Calm is the virtue of the strong ones. By remaining calm in any situation you are retaining power. Those who lose their calm lose control, and those who lose control lose power. Never allow yourself to lose calm, because if you can keep your calm you will be perceived as someone who can manage stress in a positive way and actually get something out of it (a trait that any senior leader would want to see.)

"Suggest" is one of the most powerful words there are in our vocabulary. By suggesting alternatives you come across as wise, considerate and "harmless." Suggestions are never seen as impositions, and more often than not are taken in consideration. It's hard for senior leaders to always have to make decisions alone, and if delivered correctly, those suggestions can help them a great deal. I suggest you leverage the influential power of suggestions.

If real participative management is practiced in the company, it is very useful to come up with suggestions to the leaders, this helps them in making decisions. With one condition: the suggestions must be documented, argued and to the point, so that they are useful and not just a source of controversy.

Maintaining good collaborative relationships with senior leaders is crucial for the smooth running of the company. In fact, this is also the primary role of practicing constructive feedback. Effective communication takes place when all participants in the dialogue can express and argue their opinions/suggestions without the discussion slipping into the emotional, personal register, maintaining a professional level.

Although you may not agree with the feedback received, it is important to listen carefully and respectfully to the opinions of senior leaders. If there are aspects of the feedback that are not clear or that raise doubts, do not hesitate to ask for clarifications in a respectful manner. If you consider that there are misunderstandings or differences in the interpretation of the situation, you can express your point of view in a constructive and well-founded way. If you feel the need to further discuss the feedback received, seek the opportunity to engage in an open and honest dialogue with the senior leader in an appropriate environment. It is important to accept feedback received with maturity and professionalism.