#58 - Have we lost the art of compromise?
23 Apr 25
Leadership is not an activity that lends itself to singletons. It thrives on collaboration and the ability to seek mutually beneficial gain.
Yet so many leaders only think in terms of a zero-sum game. The urge to win at all costs seems to overide any logical pursuit of solutions which work for all parties. The evidence is clear, compromise is an art form. It allows all parties to feel that their positions have been heard, and considered.
Win-win solutions tend to have a longer life expectancy than those that are unfairly balanced.
This week, I ask if we have lost the art of compromise. More importantly, how we might get it back!
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#58 - Have we lost the art of compromise?
What?
Whatever happened to the art of compromise?
Scroll through your feed, and you'll see it; debates turning into echo chambers, negotiation turning into hard lines and decision-making becoming win-lose, not win-win.
In a world hyper-optimised for speed, individualism and certainty, compromise has become underrated, if not forgotten.
But here’s the thing:
Compromise isn't a sign of weakness, it's actually an indicator that someone has wisdom. It is the quiet skill that powers great leadership, builds successful teams and forges resilient relationships.
So what is it?
Contrary to popular belief, compromise isn’t about giving up what matters. It’s about giving a little to get a lot.
Think of compromise as a bridge: it doesn’t erase the distance between two points, it simply makes connection possible.
Compromise means:
- Listening without planning your next rebuttal.
- Letting go of your ego for a bigger outcome.
- Creating alignment even when there’s disagreement.
It’s not always comfortable, but it’s often necessary.
Why?
The problem is that the world has become much more polarised, fast-paced and complex. Collaboration isn't optional anymore, it's really the only way forward if you want to get stuff done.
- In business, compromise helps navigate mergers, manage change and lead diverse teams.
- In leadership, it’s how trust is built and maintained across different personalities and priorities.
- In society, it’s how we avoid gridlock, resentment and burnout.
The 'my way or the highway' approach no longer makes sense.
How?
If you’re wondering how to get better at compromise or bring it back into your team culture, here are a few practical starting points:
- Shift from 'either/or' to 'yes/and' thinking: Ask Is there a third path we haven’t considered? Innovation often lives between extremes.
- Define the non-negotiables: Not everything can or should be compromised. Clarity about what truly matters makes negotiation easier and cleaner.
- Lead with curiousity not certainty: Be willing to understand before being understood. Often, when people feel heard, they become more flexible.
- Model it publicly: Leaders who compromise (and talk about why they’re doing it) give permission for others to do the same.
- Remember the long game: Winning every argument is short-term thinking. Building partnerships, loyalty and shared success? That’s where legacy lives.
In Summary
I hope that you enjoyed reading this newsletter and that it has given you food for thought.
We celebrate boldness, vision, and decisiveness and rightly so. But let’s not forget that compromise is what allows those qualities to survive in the real world.
In 2025 and beyond, the leaders who rise will be the ones who can hold space for difference...and still move forward!
Maybe it's time we brought compromise back into style!
Have a great week!
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