Is it normal to disagree with your senior leaders at work?

Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your workplace questions each week for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of SHRM, the world's largest trade association of human resources professionals, and author of “Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.”

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Question: I enjoy my job and the people I work with, but I find myself increasingly disagreeing with some decisions made by senior leadership. How much disagreement with leadership is normal, and at what point does misalignment become a sign that it’s time for me to move on? – Brandon

Answer: Disagreement with senior leadership is normal ‒ and in healthy organizations, it’s expected. What matters isn’t whether you disagree, but what you’re disagreeing about and how those disagreements are handled.

Let’s start with a reality check. If you never disagree with leadership, one of two things is likely true: You’re not really invested in the work, or the culture doesn’t invite honest discussion. Neither is good. Thoughtful dissent is often a sign of engagement, not disloyalty.

That said, perspective matters. Senior leaders make decisions by weighing information, constraints, and risks that aren’t always visible to employees. Strategy involves tradeoffs, and not every call will feel right from where you sit. That’s where trust comes in. Even when you disagree, you should believe leadership is acting in good faith and in service of the organization’s long-term direction.

A useful way to assess misalignment is to distinguish between strategy and values.

Disagreements about priorities, timelines, or execution are part of working life. You won’t always agree on what to do first, how fast to move, or which option is best. Those debates can be productive and often make decisions stronger.

Disagreements about values are different. If leadership decisions consistently conflict with your core beliefs about integrity, fairness, or the organization’s mission, that’s not just friction. That’s a signal. Over time, values misalignment erodes trust, credibility, and motivation‒ and no amount of liking your coworkers will fix that.

Strong organizations like SHRM follow a simple discipline: challenge, decide, commit. Employees are encouraged to raise concerns and offer alternative perspectives. Leaders make the call. Then the organization moves forward together. That model only works when dissent is welcomed before decisions are made, and commitment is expected after.

So, pay attention to how leadership responds when you speak up. Are questions invited or tolerated? Is disagreement met with curiosity or defensiveness? Do leaders explain decisions, even when they don’t change course? A culture that consistently shuts down feedback isn’t protecting alignment; it’s undermining engagement and avoiding accountability.

Ask yourself a few direct questions: Do you still believe in what the organization is trying to achieve? Do you trust leadership’s intent, even when you don’t like the outcome? Do you feel comfortable raising a different viewpoint without consequences? If the answers are yes, some level of disagreement isn’t a problem, it’s part of doing meaningful work.

But if you no longer trust leadership, if their decisions regularly clash with your values, or if dissent is treated as a threat rather than valued input, the tension won’t resolve itself. Over time, staying will require you to disengage or compromise in ways that aren’t sustainable.

Bottom line: Disagreement is healthy. Misalignment that is rooted in a lack of trust or conflicting values is not. Knowing the difference helps you decide whether the right move is to lean in, speak up ‒ or start preparing for what’s next.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.