Two people disagree about what should happen next.

The conversation quickly becomes about rank, territory, experience, and who has the authority to decide.

Meanwhile, the actual situation is waiting patiently to be examined.

Mary Parker Follett offered a better approach:

The situation, not rank or ego, should determine what needs to be done.

Leadership is not always about giving orders or winning the argument. It is about understanding the facts, listening to the people closest to the work, and responding to what the circumstances require.

Authority may determine who can make the decision.

The situation should still determine whether it is a good one.

Sometimes the work does not care who won the meeting.