Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside leadership teams across 30+ B2B SaaS organizations.
One key trait that truly sets exceptional leaders apart? They don’t fall prey to the “tyranny of OR.”
What’s that, exactly? It’s the limiting belief that certain goals can’t be pursued simultaneously. Leaders who get trapped here end up forcing themselves—and their teams—into a narrow mindset, believing they must choose one goal over another.
Some classic examples:
- Refactor the codebase OR ship new features
- Expand into the US OR localize our GTM for Europe
- Invest in branding OR focus on lead generation
- Improve quality/security OR ship faster
These are false choices, often built on fixed mindsets. The easy path might be to pick A or B, but exceptional leaders know there’s a better way: the “genius of AND.”
Whenever you’re in a meeting where “OR” thinking dominates, try this: simply ask, “If we had to achieve both, how would we do it?” You’ll be amazed how asking this question often reveals paths to accomplish both objectives, inspiring the team to think beyond the status quo.
So, next time you’re tempted by the tyranny of OR, try forcing yourself to think bigger. Embrace the genius of AND and watch your team’s potential expand.