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As a former math teacher, I could fundamentally explain that two negatives make a positive, but that would probably bore you. However, when it comes to leadership, the equation is far more interesting. In leadership, many negatives can actually yield profoundly positive results.
One of the most powerful and most underutilized tools in leadership is the word “no.” Or perhaps it is simply misunderstood, because it almost always comes across as negative.
Many leaders struggle to say it and to accept it. We want to be seen as supportive, empowering, and collaborative. At the same time, we want others to say yes to us. We fear that saying “no” will disappoint people, limit opportunity, or damage morale. And honestly, we do not like hearing it either.
So, as leaders, do we say yes too often? Yes to this? Yes to that? Some say yes to whatever is asked. Others say yes simply to keep the peace.
But every yes costs something.
Time. Energy. Attention. Clarity.
When “no” is never said, it can open the floodgates. What begins as a small ripple effect can quickly become a current that pulls the entire organization off course. An organization slowly loses alignment. Vision becomes fuzzy. Priorities compete. Teams burn out. Ironically, the attempt to stay positive by avoiding negativity can cause long-term, sometimes irreversible, damage.
Healthy leadership understands that “no” is not rejection; it is protection, even if we only see it clearly afterward.
No protects the mission from distraction.
No protects the team from overload.
No protects values from compromise.
No protects culture from confusion.
Saying no requires courage because it invites discomfort. It may lead to difficult conversations. It may create temporary tension. But clarity always outperforms chaos. A focused organization will accomplish more than a scattered one.
From a Christian worldview, this paradox is not surprising. The Ten Commandments are primarily stated in the negative: “You shall not…” At first glance, they appear restrictive. Yet they are profoundly life-giving. Each “do not” protects something beautiful: our trust, our faithfulness, our integrity, our rest, and our reverence. The negative wording guards a positive outcome. Boundaries create freedom. Limits cultivate flourishing.
Leadership works the same way. Clear “no’s” protect the organization’s mission. Constructive criticism protects future success. Honest confrontation protects relationships. When handled with humility and wisdom, negative moments become protective guardrails rather than destructive forces.
In fact, a leader’s health can often be measured by their ability to understand that “no” can be a positive, whether said or heard, without guilt. When you are secure in your calling and clear on your purpose, “no” becomes easier. It becomes strategic. It becomes generous. It becomes positive.
So perhaps the math lesson still applies after all. Two negatives make a positive, not because negativity is good in itself, but because it can be redeemed. Leadership health is not the absence of negativity. It is the ability to transform it. When you learn that “no” creates life-giving boundaries, you discover that what once felt like subtraction or division is actually addition and multiplication.
As you step into your role today, remember that you are not just an educator and leader but a shaper of the future. Your actions and decisions profoundly impact the lives of those you guide. Go, be the great educator and leader that our future needs.
Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…
©2026 J Clay Norton
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