You disagree. You say so. He holds his position. You push a little harder. He holds it more firmly. This is The Maverick in disagreement. He does not move because you want him to. He moves when the argument earns it.
The question is not how to win. It is how to keep the exchange alive long enough for both positions to matter.
Practical Techniques
Name the Common Ground First
Before making your case, find the point where you agree.
Say: “We both want this to work. I just think the path looks different.” That places both of you on the same side of the goal.
It does not soften your position. It removes the idea that one of you has to lose.
Show You Heard Him
Before you answer, say back what you understood.
Say: “You’re saying the timeline is the real risk, not the budget. Is that right?” This slows the exchange down. It gives him a chance to correct you or confirm.
When he knows you heard him, he is more willing to hear you.
Use Evidence, Not Rank
He does not defer to seniority. He responds to data.
“The last three times we did this, delivery was late by a week” is more useful than “I’ve been doing this for twenty years.”
Make the evidence specific. Specific is harder to dismiss than general.
Why This Works
The Maverick tests arguments. He does not respond to pressure. He responds to a better case. When you name the shared goal, you give the disagreement a place to land that is not about who is right. When you use evidence, you give him something to actually engage with.
Know When to Stop
Some disagreements end without resolution. When the same point has gone around twice, name it: “We see this differently. Let’s decide how to move forward anyway.” That is not losing. That is finishing.