(And not losing humanity in the process.) Some backstory for the link and QR code above. This isn’t an “AI Cliff-coach,” even though the platform I used would happily frame it that way. I’m a PCC-certified ICF coach, and I’m increasingly careful about how we use the word “coach” in this space. This polarity-informed AI [...]
I can’t stop thinking about the steady decline in the quality of our dialogue. Not just online. Not just in politics. I see it in families. In teams. In organizations. In communities. Across states. At the national level. And yes—even in the so-called “United” Nations. The tone is harder. The listening thinner. The certainty louder. [...]
(This Cliff’sNOTE was inspired by the book, The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt) Let me start with a confession. I fall into these traps all the time. Despite knowing the theory. Despite teaching this work. Despite having Polarity Thinking™ tattooed on my professional soul. I still catch myself sliding into moral certainty, reacting before reflecting, [...]
A Practical Application Framework for Coaches The ICF Core Competencies describe the domains of effective coaching practice. What they do not explicitly name are the dynamic tensions that skilled coaches must continually navigate within and across those competencies. These tensions are not problems to be solved, but interdependent pairs of values that must be leveraged [...]
Borrowing—somewhat provocatively—from John Lennon’s frustrated refrain “Gimme Some Truth”—I’m not making this political.(Though I easily could.) Instead, I want to talk about something quieter, more common, and arguably more influential in everyday life: bumper-sticker wisdom. Here’s my definition:Bumper-sticker wisdom is a partial truth, packaged as universal guidance. It works because it’s short.It’s memorable.And it’s often [...]
David Keirsey’s Temperament Model offers a practical framework for understanding human behavior by grouping personality patterns into four broad temperaments: Artisan, Guardian, Idealist, and Rational. Keirsey emphasized observable behavior, core motivations, and preferred problem-solving approaches. His approach built on classical temperament theory and was also informed by Myers-Briggs typology (see end of this note). The [...]
“If your strategy does not leverage polarity, then it’s not strategic…” -Bob de Wit & Ron Meyer For decades, I’ve used the powerful quote in this Note’s title, so I thought – let’s do a quick summary of Strategy Synthesis to capture the 10 key pairs, their meaning, and how polarity thinking shapes effective strategic [...]
Maria Popova (See: The Marginalian) is on my short-list of people and groups that provide an “Island of Coherence in a Sea of Chaos” in these strange and challenging times. Below is the lead-up to her amazing piece from today on Steinbeck’s Sea of Cortez. And also, my Polarity Map (Quest for Certainty And Openness [...]
Friend and Certified Polarity Practitioner in Germany, Thomas Schumacher, knew I was departing Amsterdam for Stockholm for the “Bridging Polarities” Inner Development Goals Summit. So, he thoughtfully sent me some reading material for the plane from the Academy of Management Learning & Education -- “Cultivating a Collective Paradox Mindset: Design Principles for Learning Interventions.” It’s [...]
This story was originally published at idgstories.com here. My story centers on work I did with two visionary leaders from Brazil, Roseangela Angonese and Julio Agostini. We combined dimensions of Collaborating + Acting to scale Thinking in ways that supported SDGs 11 and 13– sustainable cities and climate action. Country: United States IDG HUB: IDG Washington, D.C. [...]