Pushback isn’t the problem.
Chronic pushback is.
You know the type.
Every project, every meeting, every decision—there’s that one team member who finds a reason to resist.
Not out of insight, but habit.
Not to improve the outcome, but to stay in control.
It’s not constructive skepticism.
It’s fatigue with a face.
Their default mode is delay.
Their tone tightens timelines.
Their presence starts to feel like friction instead of fuel.
This is the slow leak in your leadership stamina.
Because every “why are we doing this” that lacks curiosity chips away at your energy.
Every “devil’s advocate” moment that lacks direction reroutes your momentum.
Juxtapose that against a team member who asks questions with purpose.
They dig not to stall, but to understand.
They push—not back, but through.
They aren’t defensive.
They’re deliberate.
That’s the kind of resistance that makes steel sharper, not systems slower.
So here’s the shift: we don’t need less pushback.
We need pushback with intent.
When every objection is performative, leaders burn out.
When questions aim for progress, leaders power up.
The difference?
One is playing politics.
The other is playing for the team.
Here’s the takeaway for multifamily leadership—invite questions, but demand clarity of intent.
Make it safe to challenge.
But don’t let challenging become the work.
“Not every ‘what if’ is valuable—some are just dressed-up delay tactics.” — Mike Brewer