The crowd roared, but Ken Blanchard went silent inside.
“This is your game. Take it.”
The Beginning of Constructive Disobedience
Seventeen-year-old Ken sat on the bench while his basketball team fell behind. With seconds left, the coach sent him in. He made three jump shots in a row. The fourth sent the game to overtime. Then double overtime. Sudden death would determine the winner.
Over thirty feet from the basket, Ken stopped. Cocked the ball. Coach Ryan screamed, “NO!” But Ken listened to his inner voice. He won the game.
This would be “the first of several times in Ken Blanchard’s life that he took a shot against all odds and common sense.” (Martha Lawrence writes in Catch People Doing Things Right.)
It wasn’t rebellion. It was constructive disobedience. The kind of disobedience that serves purpose, not pride.
Leaders face moments when obedience feels safe. It’s safe to comply. Courageous leaders risk disapproval.
Constructive disobedience respects authority without surrendering responsibility. It’s the moment you:
- Speak truth when the room wants comfort.
- Defend a person when policy says nothing.
- Take initiative when protocol obstructs action.
Blanchard’s entire leadership philosophy—empowering others, catching people doing things right, leading with love—grew from the seed of constructive disobedience.
Power Tip: Encourage your teammates to question norms and constructively challenge decisions.
Loyalty isn’t being a bobblehead. Act with the team’s best interest in mind.
Author’s note: I’ve interviewed Ken Blanchard several times and met him in West Palm Beach. He strikes me as the real deal. I recommend his biography, Catch People Doing Things Right.
What’s your definition of constructive disobedience? When is it wrong?
