Bridging Polarities
June 17 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm CEST
Bridging Polarities
The Power of Either/Or Thinking WITH Both/And Thinking
Using Interdependent Tensions as a Resource for Development
This session will help you in your development process by improving the speed, attainability and sustainability by leveraging polarity tensions within and between IDGs and SDGs.
Thursday, June 17, 2025, 16:00-18:00 CET
About the event
Since 1975, Barry Johnson has been pioneering the theory and practice of polarities—interdependent pairs that require thinking/acting in “Both/And” to be effective in inner and outer development, over time. His recent book, “And: How to Leverage Polarity, Paradox, and Dilemma, Volume 1 – Foundations”, offers a transformative lens for understanding how polarities operate in human systems—and how to harness their power in practice.
In this session, Barry Johnson and Cliff Kayser (IDG Ambassador, Aconcagua Cohort) will guide participants through a dynamic introduction to polarity thinking. You’ll gain essential awareness and tools to better embrace polarity tensions—both individually and collectively—as a way to bridge the gap between today’s complex challenges and the future we aspire to create.
Together, we’ll explore why we get stuck, and how we can move forward with greater wisdom, agility, and impact. This session will deepen your existing polarity wisdom and accelerate your capacity to hold complexity with compassion, cultivate resilience, and align inner development with systemic transformation. You’ll leave better equipped to contribute to the advancement of both the IDG’s and SDGs.
About the speakers
Dr. Barry Johnson is the creator of the Polarity Map® and a pioneer in Polarity Thinking®, a framework that helps leaders and organizations navigate complex, interdependent challenges. Since developing the first Polarity Map® in 1975, he has worked globally to promote “both/and”; thinking over traditional “either/or”; approaches, enhancing decision-making and organizational effectiveness.
As Chairman of Polarity Partnerships, Dr. Johnson has introduced the Polarity Approach to Continuity and Transformation (PACT™), a methodology that includes tools like the Polarity Assessment™ to help organizations leverage polarities essential to their success.
He is the author of several influential books, including Polarity Management: Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems and the two-volume series And: Making a Difference by Leveraging Polarity, Paradox or Dilemma
Dr. Johnson holds a Ph.D. in organization development and has extensive training from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland. His work is widely applied across sectors such as business, government, education, and healthcare.
Cliff Kayser is a seasoned leadership coach, organizational consultant, and thought leader based in Washington, D.C., with deep expertise in values-based leadership and polarity thinking. He serves as Chief Learning Officer at Polarity Partnerships and is the founder of both the Polarities of Democracy Institute and Xperience, LLC—organizations dedicated to helping leaders and institutions navigate complex challenges through the power of both/and thinking.
Cliff’s approach integrates Eastern wisdom traditions with contemporary leadership science, blending philosophical insight with practical tools for performance measurement and organizational change. From his “happy place”—a 40-acre mountain retreat in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia—he hosts and facilitates purpose-driven dialogues and renewal-focused retreats.
In 2024, Cliff was named an Ambassador for the Inner Development Goals (Aconcagua Cohort), a global, open-source initiative supporting the cultivation of inner capacities essential to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—and advancing human flourishing on a healthy planet.
Cliff is an adjunct faculty at George Mason’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being’s “Leadership Coaching for Organizational Well-Being” program and American University’s “KEY Executive Leadership” program.