The Art of the Pushback

Alex and Nicole host 'The Corporate Jungle' podcast, recording an episode about how to disagree with a CEO without getting fired.

The Art of the Pushback

True or false?

Alex and Nicole co-host a podcast called The Corporate Jungle.

• True
• False

They both agreed completely on how they handled their past corporate arguments.

• True
• False

Nicole claims she was actually Alex's boss at Apex Logistics.

• True
• False

They argued about font sizes during their time at Apex Logistics.

• True
• False

The company they worked for eventually went bankrupt two years later.

• True
• False

Listen again and complete the sentences

• Nicole: Thanks, Alex. Today we're tackling a topic that strikes fear into the hearts of many executives: how to ____ when things go wrong.
• Alex: Frankly, it's a tightrope walk. You've got to balance your career with the ____ , and honestly, most of us fail miserably at it.
• Nicole: Tellingly, people often confuse a ____ with a minor disagreement. They dig their heels in over font sizes and then fold when it actually matters.
• Alex: Exactly. You've got to ____ carefully. I remember once having to deliver some very candid advice to our boss at Apex Logistics in Chicago back in 2018.
• Alex: Wait, you're joking. I thought I was the one showing ____ by standing up to you!

Sources: photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels