Polarity/Paradox Lessons from Adm. Stockdale

By |2020-04-08T08:55:38-04:00April 8th, 2020|Polarity Thinking|

“The safest place in a bad storm is the hard truth”. Admiral Stockdale Stockdale's Paradox/Polarity of Reality and Faith is wisdom for our times. Hopefully, the piece below taken from Good-to-Great (plus some additional resources is useful for you. COLLINS: I asked, “Who didn’t make it out?” STOCKDALE: “Oh, that’s easy, the optimists.” COLLINS: “The [...]

Masks — As PPE and Metaphor

By |2020-05-07T18:58:22-04:00April 3rd, 2020|Polarity Thinking|

"Mask" is a metaphor that's familiar to an "Undoing Racism" group I've been meeting with going on 4 years now. We have a good time together, but our work isn't always fun or easy. Becoming aware of our individual and collective masks requires creating a trusting space for courage and vulnerability. From that container emerges learning, healing, and growth -- [...]

Leadership in Crisis

By |2020-04-08T08:25:08-04:00March 30th, 2020|Polarity Thinking|

Here’s a quick-take for leading in crisis. These may be a BGO (blinding glimpse of the obvious) for most leaders, but perhaps helpful amid chaos. (NOTE: Also effective in non-crisis situations.): Address what problems can be solved AND Leverage the unsolvable polarities in the best ways you can (And, navigate problems and polarities without blame [...]

A Two Virus War On Two Fronts

By |2020-03-31T08:54:59-04:00March 25th, 2020|Polarity Thinking|

It’s been described that we’re at war to fight the corona virus. However, this is a two-virus war and the viruses attack from different fronts -- one the body and the other the mindset. The corona virus attacks the body and there's no cure yet. The other virus attacks the mindset and for that a vaccine [...]

Success w/Stress — Two Polarity Maps

By |2020-04-08T07:52:41-04:00March 20th, 2020|Polarity Thinking|

“The safest place in a bad storm is the hard truth”. Admiral Stockdale (NOTE: A second Polarity Map from our Public Library of Polarity Maps, appears at the end of this Cliff'sNOTE. It's based on the Stockdale Paradox from Jim Collins, book Good-to-Great.) I was inspired to create the Polarity Map below after a fantastic [...]

A Well-Being Multarity to Leverage

By |2020-03-15T12:04:46-04:00March 15th, 2020|Multarities, Polarity Thinking|

In this time of coronavirus quarantine we're navigating the polarity tension of being simultaneously/paradoxically: Socially/physically more distanced from the collective AND Socially/physically more connected with self/a few others As we navigate this tension, it's quite possible we'll find ourselves coming into a deeper awareness of connection to other parts of individual selves we may have [...]

Resources for Leveraging Our Global Polarities

By |2020-04-08T08:25:58-04:00March 15th, 2020|Polarity Thinking|

In my lifetime, I've not seen 7 billion people come together to leverage the key polarities such as the ones below (among others): Self Care AND Care for Others Care for Parts AND Care for the Collective Information Accuracy AND Response Implementation Science Focus AND Social Focus Physical/Social Distance AND Emotional Connection Being socially/physically distanced from the [...]

Who Won the “Focus on Strengths VS Weaknesses” Debate?

By |2020-03-12T13:11:12-04:00March 12th, 2020|Polarity Thinking|

"Polarities," according to Dr. Joel M. Rothaizer, MCC in a May 21, 2019 Forbes article. He goes on to say…. "As Bob Kaplan and Rob Kaiser described in a Harvard Business Review article, strengths overused become weaknesses, and virtues become vices. Most leaders are aware of their areas of weaknesses but are often blind to the downsides of overusing [...]

Support for Our New Normal – Leveraging Virtual Team Polarities

By |2020-03-12T12:03:22-04:00March 12th, 2020|Polarity Thinking|

If you need a fresh perspective on Virtual Team effectiveness now that we’re all going to be doing even more of it – this research may help that Polarity Partnerships, LLC did in collaboration with: Jean Brittain Leslie, Emily Hoole, and Rebecca Anderson, Center for Creative Leadership Margaret Luciano, Ph.D., Arizona State University John Mathieu, [...]

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