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Session Submission Summary

Leveraging Polarities in Turbulence: Transforming Vicious Cycles Into Virtuous Cycles

Thu, October 12, 9:00 to 17:00, SQUARE, Studio 314

Session Submission Type: Pre-conference Workshop

Detailed Abstract

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Anyone interested in being more effective in addressing polarization in complex turbulent settings.

WHAT WILL ATTENDEES GAIN?
Attendees will:
*Understand the value and limits of "OR Thinking" and basic problem solving strategies when leading in complex and turbulent situations.
*Understand the value of supplementing "OR Thinking" with "AND Thinking."
*Understand how Polarity Thinking can be applied at all levels of a system: internationally, nationally, in communities, with teams, and, in individual leadership.
*Understand how Polarity Thinking can be combined with other disciplines including Real Time Strategic Change and Vertical Development.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Increasing complexity and turbulence requires enhancing leadership capacity. This turbulence often shows up in the form of polarized tensions: Rising Nationalism with anti-immigration verses Global Interdependence with pro-immigration; Chronic issues within Poverty, Racism and Sexism; Law Enforcement in tension with Community Engagement; Teams that are virtual and global while needing to be local and face to face.

For the above tensions, problem solving, alone, is not enough. What is also needed is the ability to leverage underlying polarities (dilemmas, paradoxes). The question is not, “How do we choose EITHER Nationalism OR Global Interdependence?” The question is, “How do we get the best of BOTH Nationalism AND Global Interdependence to benefit BOTH our country AND our global community?” Other polarity questions include: “How do we promote BOTH abundance for some AND basics for all?” “How do we BOTH enforce the law AND engage the community?”

When we see any of the above tensions as a choice in which we must choose EITHER one OR the other, we increase the turbulence. Each is a false choice seen by each side as an obvious choice. We will be presenting five applications of this powerful paradigm to difficult, intractable situations around the world.

The Presentations:
1. Reconciling Cultural Identity With Cultural Openness -
Addressing the growing tensions between pro-versus anti-migration factions
2. Addressing Poverty, Racism and Sexism through a polarity lens.
3. Strengthening Police And Citizen Relationships - Life after mass murder in Charleston, USA
4. Improving global, virtual team development through leveraging key team polarities
5. Polarity wisdom in service of Vertical Leadership Development

Process:
There are 6 areas of focus with a common thread which is the application of Polarity Thinking to Leadership in Turbulent times. Two of the sessions will speak to combining
Polarity Thinking with other disciplines. Each session will have an experiential component, a presentation component and a questions and insights component. Each session will build upon and connect to all previous sessions.

Morning:
1. Overview of Theory: Understanding of the basics of Polarity Thinking and its relevance to leadership in turbulent times.
2. International Turbulence: Applying Polarity Thinking at the international level of system with a focus on Nationalism AND Global Interdependence.
3. Intra-national Turbulence: Applying Polarity Thinking in addressing Poverty, Racism and Sexism in the United States.

Afternoon:
4. Community Turbulence: Applying Polarity Thinking in combination with Real Time Strategic Change (RTSC) to address Police and Community relations in Charleston, South Carolina
5. Team Turbulence: Applying Polarity Thinking for virtual team effectiveness with national and international teams.
6. Individual Leadership in Turbulence: Applying Polarity Thinking in combination with Vertical Development

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