When bosses prioritise politeness over honest exchange, they sacrifice the development of their employees, writes Dr Christian Marcolli in today’s Notebook

Bosses and staff should know how to spar

A recent survey by AI-platform Joi AI reveals that 58 per cent of ChatGPT users feel it’s “too nice and polite” and many respondents said they would prefer the AI to “argue back occasionally”, suggesting that users crave more authentic pushback rather than constant validation. The same truth applies in human leadership: when we constantly prioritise politeness over honest exchange, we sacrifice excellent performance and opportunities for growth for perceived comfort.

In today’s corporate world, leaders often mistake stagnant harmony for health. Teams avoid conflict, conversations stay polite and difficult truths remain unspoken – which results in artificial cohesion. Yet, as I’ve seen throughout my career, from coaching Olympic champions to advising global CEOs, true excellence doesn’t emerge from comfort. It’s forged in challenge. That’s why I believe one of the most powerful competencies for leaders today is leadership sparring.

Just as athletes spar to elevate their performance level without risk of injury, leaders can use sparring to stretch their teams’ thinking in a safe but demanding way. Sparring is not about confrontation for its own sake; it’s a structured, respectful and constructive exchange that pushes ideas further, sharpens judgement and........

© City A.M.