How To Be Bold Without Being Rude

What does being bold mean to you? In my 30 years working for healthcare companies, I’ve found that the industry can be relatively conservative compared to more consumer-facing ones, which can create a challenge to being bold without ruffling feathers.

Being bold is even more difficult in Asia, where boldness is often perceived as rude in many of the more traditional cultures, especially when expressing a different opinion in front of seniors or doing things out of the norm. However, even with hurdles like this, I still believe we can strike a balance between being bold and not coming across as rude.

Boldness is a mindset; it’s a willingness to be different and take risks—even if they don’t always pay off. Of course, this doesn’t mean we should break the law or step outside regulatory boundaries.

At the same time, just because you’re being bold doesn’t mean you have to be disrespectful. In fact, it’s important to be considerate of others when you’re trying to make a difference.

Here are a few tips on how to approach boldness respectfully.

Commit to building and influencing a culture of boldness.

Often, a pressure to stick with what’s safe is what holds us back from being bold. Leaders are the key to initiating change and setting the tone for how boldness is realized across the organization.

When I was serving as managing director in Australia for a multinational company, I was trying to initiate a performance-based benefit. People were suspicious, as they thought it would be extremely difficult to change the benefit policies for just one country. I decided to set a simple example. I had the privilege of enjoying a nice car and a reserved parking lot at the office. To encourage our sales representatives to excel in their roles, I offered to trade my car and parking lot with the best sales rep of each quarter. I happily drove their cars for the whole year. That simple gesture made people believe that you don’t always have to change the policy or break the rules to encourage good performance.

After that, many of my leadership team members followed suit and got creative in motivating their teams. They came up with even better ideas. More importantly, I wasn’t the only one pushing the initiatives—instead, it became an organization-wide culture.

So, boldness is not about top-down decision-making. It needs to be embraced and championed by everyone to be successful. People need to feel empowered and safe to take risks, challenge the status quo and drive change. Leaders are in the best position to take the first step in order to change the culture.

Explore different paths to get to the same destination.

Being bold doesn’t mean that you have to do something totally disruptive or against the rules. Changing mindsets is about thinking outside of the box.

Many years ago, I oversaw marketing for a pharmaceutical company that had just entered a new Asian market. A medical symposium was taking place, and it was deemed the best opportunity to introduce the firm to experts and professionals within the industry.

However, it was very difficult for a newcomer like us to secure a spot in the symposium. So, when I learned that a fashion show was taking place at the venue right next door, I made the call to have our company sponsor the show. Our company logo was splashed prominently outside the building, leading to news media expressing their shock at a global pharmaceutical firm sponsoring the fashion industry. It also made a lot of our potential customers very curious about our company.

For just a fraction of the original cost of entering the symposium, we ended up with more media coverage than any other company and got a lot of attention from clients at the conference.

To me, this is what boldness looks like — lived out, even within legal constraints. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourselves to think outside of the box. Because if you want to arrive at a different outcome, you can’t keep going through the same actions.

Finally, delivery makes all the difference.

The means and messenger matter just as much as the message. Consider your audience and find a way to make your point without coming across as rude.

During the Asian Financial Crisis in 1998, my company was in the middle of acquiring a firm in a country that was heavily hit by the crisis. I was the country manager then and the board posed this question to me: “This country seems to have a huge problem. Would you invest $50 million into this firm if it were your own money?” I still remember cheekily responding, “If I had the $50 million myself, I would retire. But history tells me that no country will disappear just because of one crisis; and economies will eventually recover.”

I believed that since most of the other companies were stepping back, this was the best time for us to go forward. Becoming the only one investing amid the crisis would help us gain trust from the local industry and government and pave the way for our long-term development plans in the country. At the end of the meeting, the board approved the acquisition and told me that my answer helped their decision.

Voicing your opinion may sometimes be perceived as rude, especially in front of people who are much more senior than you. But we can tweak how we communicate and use strategies like humor and wit to help people see things from a different perspective. A logical argument made with confidence and respect can help you deliver a bold opinion without offending anyone. Delivery truly makes all the difference.

At its core, boldness sets you and your organization apart. So, don’t be afraid to be different. Challenge yourself to question norms, think outside of the box and prime your business to thrive in a world that often pressures us to stay the same.

Note: this is an article contributed by Chris Lee to the Forbes Business Council as one of its members. You can find the original link to this article on Forbes below.