I have a strong memory of pushing back against authority.

I was a senior in college when we got a new gymnastics coach. We quickly loved him. He was an incredible leader who had lifted us up after some difficult years. He saw our strengths, appreciated them, and helped us minimize our weaknesses.

I respected him deeply.

Then he pulled my double back.

It had been my opening pass on floor for my first three years of college, and I had hit it around 90% of the time.

He wanted me to compete a much simpler pass and focus on perfect execution.

I tried it.

It felt wrong.

After that first meet, I finally found the courage to tell him:

“I think you’re wrong.”

I went back to the double back.

And it worked.

I went on to make the lineup and compete that skill at every meet for the rest of my college career.

Years later, as a business analyst at Target, I pushed back again.

I knew we were going to be significantly underbought on a major product launch, so I worked closely with my vendor to understand the nationwide supply situation. Then I went into the office late one night and placed an order to secure backup inventory.

It was a calculated risk.

And it worked.

Today, I really value Amazon’s “Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit” Leadership Principle.  

We can’t move forward if every decision stays in debate.

But as I’ve become more seasoned in life and in my career, I’ve noticed something about myself.

I’ve become much more measured about when to push through disagreement.

And sometimes I wonder if I’ve become too measured.

Maybe sometimes it’s exactly right to commit and move forward.

But I wonder if there’s a line between healthy discernment and holding back our voice, our ideas, and the innovation that can come from respectfully challenging the status quo, doing the work, and taking the risk to test our conviction.

Some of the biggest growth moments in my life came when I was willing to respectfully say:

“I think you’re wrong.”

Not because I knew I was right.

Because I was willing to find out.