I agree with the sentiment from the perspective of a networking professional, where any deviation from one aspect of a design can completely break the logic of

I agree with the sentiment from the perspective of a networking professional, where any deviation from one aspect of a design can completely break the logic of its performance or security. However, it’s not good advice from a management perspective. ‘No’ is an absolute statement that implies inflexibility and does not invite discourse to justify a position. If it is applied more frequently for some people than others, it can raise issues around the perception of fairness, and even arrogance. It certainly had its place in certain political situations, but there are more tactful ways of saying no, like ‘we will be fulfilling the organisation’s need for performance by continuing down this path’, which is a positive statement.