"Share your opinion and give me some opposition"

I've worked for some really powerful and skillful people in my career. As bosses and clients, many of them have taught me beyond what I could wish for.

When I was the youngest person in the room once I had the audacity to share an opposing view to consensus. The guy at the end of the table looked me square in the eye and said:

Who are you and what are you thinking?

I thought I was going to get fired. But, he actually wanted to know who I was and what my thinking was behind what I had said.

Later (some months later) I was with him 1:1 randomly in the office. He said "Peter-san, don't ever not say what you mean. If you have an opinion, share it. Be respectful of your bosses, but don't ever stop sharing your view. When someone like me sits in meetings everyone agrees and nods. And I always have a feeling we are missing something. I need someone to oppose. I actually want someone to oppose."

Since then I have stuck my neck out when I felt I had to. Most of the time it has served me well, sometimes it has not.

But I will always heed Taguchi's advice.