Leadership in our Polarized Times

A New Year Reflection on Leadership and Polarization

While LinkedIn is a professional space, I believe that the increasing polarization we see in society impacts leadership, collaboration, and the way we engage with others, including in the workplace. With that in mind I decided to write a personal reflection on how I think we might navigate these times more thoughtfully. All views expressed in this article and indeed on this platform are entirely and only my own.

Bridging Divides: Why Dialogue Matters

For me, the start of any New Year often encourages deeper reflection, not only as it relates to personal goals but also on the larger challenges facing society. As we step into 2025, it feels truer now than it has in quite some time.

• What are your views on the place Religion should have in the 21st Century Western World?
• Where do you stand on the seeming head-on collision between Women’s Rights Advocates and those with whom Transgender acceptance is the main social justice issue of our time?
• Do you think white men especially need to be more vocal and active anti-racists? And how about white gay cis men needing to become more prominent allies for their wider queer communities?
• Can you envision a scenario where foreign nationals working in low paying jobs are expelled and somehow that reignites the economies of yesteryear?
• How do you feel about the fact we’re still debating a Women’s right to choose in 2025?
• Are you still reeling from the recent US General Election?
• Are you ready for January 20th?

??????????? I could quite easily give my own simple 2–3-word answer on every single one of these matters, but I’m not going to. Let me just say that I’m originally from the UK, where I’m still considered considerably left of center both socially and economically on most matters, and in US parlance I certainly would be described as liberal - though actually I’m not sure I’d pass the UK Liberal entrance exam anymore (and that’s another story)! All in all, I firmly believe in progressive values, but I’m also convinced that how we engage in these conversations matters just as much as the values themselves.

And, despite my leanings, one thing I’ve observed about the last 10 years, versus what I suppose you could call the previous world order, is the increasing rigidity of moral and political discourse. Nuanced pragmatism that acknowledges complexity, imperfection, and the layered nature of human behavior feels increasingly impossible for many people. We absolutely must pick a side – there’s just no room for discourse. Moral absolutism is de rigueur! Though actually it feels to me like we’re just revisiting old patterns of division, albeit with different drivers and destinations.

Whatever this societal shift we’re going through is, to me it feels alienating, counterproductive, and dangerous. Reflecting on this, I realized how much of what divides us today might come down to how we define morality. Philosophers like Kant (deontology) championed strict principles, while consequentialists focus on the outcomes of actions. I gravitate toward the latter, seeing imperfection and context as part of progress. This philosophical divide might mirror the polarization we see, where rigid principles on both sides sometimes drive further division. I came across this wonderful phrase during my research: the ‘consequentialist acceptance of human imperfection’ which I really love. Also, I should mention a wonderful article from the May 2022 issue of the Atlantic titled “Why the past 10 years of American life have been uniquely stupid” that I would strongly recommend to anyone interested in the topic of what I’ve called a ‘societal shift’. I’m not sure I fully buy in to the idea of social media and the “like button” being uniquely responsible, but I’m certainly at least most of the way convinced.

I accept that all of us are flawed, and that the world is extremely complex. Too many people feel dismissed or vilified on both sides of the aisle. Populist figures often gain traction by rejecting what some see as elitist moral judgment from mainstream institutions. This phenomenon is not just limited to the United States – it’s a global trend that I think we need to take seriously. Voters do not necessarily agree with entire platforms, and neither do they appreciate the moral condescension they sometimes feel can be directed at them (accurately or not) nor are they necessarily always able to best articulate their point of view… something we’re all affected by to varying degrees. The ‘other side’ is not stupid, and we need to stop saying it. We all need to have the intellectual humility and curiosity to talk. Simply dismissing ‘the other’ is philosophical laziness, pure and simple. And, to quote one of my favorite podcasts “The Rest is Politics” we need this dialogue to be through a prism of polite and well-mannered agreeable disagreement.

Whichever way we spin it and whatever your views are, large numbers of people feeling ignored or misunderstood is extremely dangerous for society. Being labeled religious fanatics, transphobe, racist, xenophobe, misogynist without any room for dialogue, and the defensive entrenchment that often ensues does nothing to resolve anything. A consequentialist view would be one that argues that understanding the other side is essential, and inquiry that seeks to do so is not acceptance of sometimes harmful ideologies, but an opportunity to address their root cause. Dismissing individuals outright perpetuates the systemic drivers of populism creating the very conditions that fuel divisive political movements.

In 2025, and indeed right through to 2028, I hope we can allow more space for dialogue, acknowledge that progress must be managed carefully, and that more often we manage to engage each other where the other is at, rather than where we wish they would be. We don’t need to compromise on core values, but I do think we need a more strategic and compassionate form of advocacy. For me inauguration day will be a sad day. But also, I accept that not everyone feels that way. And I remain hopeful that the polarization that exists in our world does not need to increase over the next four years.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Martin McCafferty

January 2nd, 2025