The Purist and The Pragmatist

You've certainly seen or experienced this tension.

Present in large groups, small groups, and even within yourself, this dynamic has at odds the need to hold the line and the need to get things done.

On a great episode of the Rich Roll Podcast, Whole Foods Market CEO and co-founder John Mackey gave me specific language for it. And when you have specific language, the tension is easier to see.

When you see this dynamic playing out, it's no longer about the person. Instead, it's about the posture or position. You're in a healthier place to operate. You're poised to debate more constructively and make decisions more effectively.

The language: the purist and the pragmatist.

From the podcast conversation ...

“ The purists want and hold the movement to very  high standards. They want it to be  perfect. And if it’s not perfect, they will attack and criticize those they see as  heretics – those who are not on  the true path.”

“And then there’s the pragmatist, who says ‘well, that’s great, but you’re not going to  get anything done.’ It’s easy to be perfect on a mountaintop, but if you to be amongst the marketplace with people, you have to  meet people where you find them. So if you become too judgmental and you’re too idealistic, you’ll turn everybody off.”

In any business or organization, you'll run into these competing priorities and positions. Both are necessary. Both are valuable. Both should be heard.

You can see purity and pragmatism as a spectrum. Some people tend toward one or the other. Other people have an internal struggle between them.

Regardless where you land, I hope this language resonates with you and helps you move forward more constructively more often.

For a complete post on this organizational behavior, click here.

To hear the podcast episode, click here.