Making Your Complex Realities Work for You Rather Than Against You

• In Event: Polarity Thinking: An Essential Leadership Capability in a Rapid, Uncertain, Paradoxical, and Turbulent World

Short Description

The research is clear. In today's world of increasing interdependence and complexity, leaders, teams, organizations and nation states that leverage polarities (such as centralization and decentralization) outperform those that don't. Given that, the presenter will offer insights and experiences to answer: How exactly does a leader leverage polarities?

Detailed Abstract

The research is clear: In today's world of increasing interdependence and complexity, leaders, teams, organizations and nation states that leverage Polarities (AKA Paradox, Wicked Problems, Chronic Tensions & Dilemmas) outperform those that don't. A growing number of thought leaders, practitioners and researchers are contributing to the substantive body of work that is expanding the knowledge, application and evidence-based research on Polarity Thinking’s vital place in the field of leader, team and organization effectiveness.

How exactly does a leader leverage Polarities? This work begins with SEEING how interdependent and opposite pairs of values, competencies and strategic objectives create tension that impacts your organization positively or negatively– depending on how you frame and respond to the inherent tensions. At first, these interdependent pairs feel like opposite solutions that you have to choose between. For example, in your efforts to compete in a global marketplace you may look at whether to centralize or decentralize your systems, structures & processes to support your growth strategy. Predictable and understandable biases will emerge in your exploration of this dilemma, especially when the diverse interests of your stakeholders are taken into consideration. In reality, centralization and decentralization is an interdependent set of objectives that need each other over time if your organization is to survive and thrive in a global marketplace. This makes the correct response to the centralize or decentralize debate, “YES.”

All interdependent values, competencies and objectives work the same way. Taking an either-or approach or exerting a single-minded focus of going after a single objective to the exclusion of the interdependent opposite objective will, over time, set the “pendulum swing” into motion and your desired results will be unattainable or unsustainable. Taking a both/and approach is key to your achieving and sustaining success immediately and over time.

By making the tensions inherent in interdependent values, competencies and objectives work for you, rather than against you, you will be able to better leverage limited resources and experience the performance “lift” that comes from turning conflict-ridden vicious cycles into virtuous cycles literally raise your performance ceiling and make more possible with less.

Participant

• Leslie S. DePol, Polarity Partnerships