Key question: how are you going to handle things when you know you're right but the team/lead votes the other way? Some folks, once they know what is right, wi

Key question: how are you going to handle things when you know you're right but the team/lead votes the other way? Some folks, once they know what is right, will never do anything but that. Avoid these people. Some folks are so apathetic they agree to anything. Avoid these people too. There's an old phrase "Strong opinions, lightly held". Have good and powerful reasons for the viewpoints you own. Defend them -- at length if necessary -- and passionately argue the merits of your view. But at the same time, get a grip. Your job as a professional is to both have strong opinions about quality and to be able to dance to whatever song is playing. At some point, sure, the environment could be so bad that you should take a walk instead of staying and putting up with it. That's one of the values they hired you for. But whether or not to have a private variable is not that point. ADD: I think this is just as important, more important, actually for leads and managers as it is for workers. We model the behavior we want to see. If you're hard-headed and have a take-no-prisoners attitude, or if you're apathetic and jaded? Your reports see that. They copy it.