How to Say No and When to Say No More: Leadership Lessons from Military History
In this powerful episode of Battling with Business, hosts Gareth Tennant, a former Royal Marines officer, and Chris Kitchener, an accomplished product manager, explore the art of saying “no” in leadership and decision-making. Drawing on lessons from military history, they discuss when to hold the line, when to push back, and how to identify the right moments to stop pursuing ineffective strategies.
The conversation begins with Chris sharing a fascinating piece of military history, which leads to a lively discussion on the importance of strategic decision-making and the courage it takes to say no—both in the battlefield and the boardroom. Gareth and Chris reflect on how historical leaders used the power of "no" to inspire focus, maintain clarity, and achieve extraordinary outcomes under pressure.
Listeners are treated to engaging anecdotes and actionable insights as the hosts explore the role of resilience, teamwork, and communication in understanding when to stick to a strategy and when to change course. They discuss how saying no can safeguard resources, protect morale, and set teams up for long-term success.
Whether you’re a leader struggling to balance competing priorities, a history enthusiast curious about the parallels between military strategy and business, or simply someone eager to master the art of assertive decision-making, this episode is packed with practical wisdom. Tune in to discover how saying no can be a powerful leadership tool that drives clarity, focus, and results.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!