The Magic Word for Leaders Who Want To Preserve Their Time & Energy

Learning how and when to say No is crucial for leaders. We all know what happens to leaders who never learn how to do it. Their schedule gets overwhelmed with work they shouldn't be doing, their direct reports never get a chance to develop true autonomy, and their leadership skills are underestimated because of their unwillingness to delegate. I'm going to share eight refusal statements that can be used in many situation at work and at home. Let's call these statements No-pportunities. You can start using them right away.

“I can do this for you this time, but I can’t do it every time.”

“Can I take 24 hours to get back to you?”  

“I have another priority I need to focus on at this time.”

“I can’t, but here’s another option for you.”  

“Please take me off of this thread.”

“My availability this month/quarter/year is going to be limited.”

“I’m going to ask you to own this one. Keep me in the loop.”

“No, I can‘t help you.”  (Yes, this is a full sentence)

Those are your eight key refusal statements, and they can be used in a surprising number of situations. I'm sure you're thinking of some right now. Learning how to say No is a crucial step for any leader. Get good at it and watch your productivity soar!

Tracy Spears | October 7, 2019

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Register with the Exceptional Leaders Lab by texting TRACY to 66866 to get leadership tips and tactics, book and workshop announcements, and access to the most progressive thought leadership on coaching, management and personal development.