"The most powerful tool of all is the word no."
It's interesting to come across this comment by Grove, because I had recently started posting a new study about Steve Jobs and the ways he led and managed Apple (AAPL), with a very similar comment from Jobs.
The idea that saying yes is one of the keys to always going forward in a company is an illusion. Every great manager I've known or studied has said the same thing. Many times it's the no's that bring success, rather than the occasional yes that launches a company forward.
There's a lot of irrational exuberance out there that comes from opening up and flattening businesses. The result is the free flow of information and ideas, which for the most part will end up being said no to; something that isn't included much in the coverage of the topic.
This shouldn't be discouraging to hear, as a huge part of any process is understanding the good ideas, which do many times emerge out of the robust talks and interchanges across a business. A lot of times ideas that are said "no" to bring a company closer to the idea or ideas that will work.
But those that aren't willing to say no over and over again, will find themselves with huge problems before things are over.
Saying no is such a powerful tool for the very reason we're living in the information age. The shear volume of ideas, interjections and thoughts must be declined. It's the way any successful business will be run. That's what makes the great ideas so valuable. It's a discipline that must be fostered in all business leaders.
One thought to keep in mind is that saying know, especially in interchanges, isn't always using the word "no," it can be said by changes the subject or redirecting things to another thought, which leaves the former idea behind and forgotten in a short time. (We're talking of group settings here.)
The point is we can't get too caught up in the plethora of ideas hammering at us day and night, it would drive us crazy.
For those who offer ideas to us individually, we do need to have some type of policy in place that guarantees and answer in a relatively short period of time. Learn to say no, it's the greatest tool you'll have in your arsenal.
All we need to do is make sure we say the right yes.
Other Andy Grove Resources:
Andy Grove's Rational Exuberance
The Digital Age . . . driven by the passion of Intel's Andrew Grove
The History and Influence of Andy Grove
Andy Grove enters new post-Intel role as activist capitalist
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