The Six Polarities of Effective Leadership (and Life)

I often think back on a discussion I had early in my career with Motorola when I was in a room with two engineering teams talking about a collaborative effort.

While I was not an engineer, I quickly realized that each group was using acronyms that meant something different to the other team.

I stopped the discussion and had them write down the meaning of each acronym they used. After 5 minutes, I had them tell the other side what the acronyms meant. Then, I watched their amazement when they realized they had been discussing totally different things.

The famous George Bernard Shaw quote, “Two countries separated by a common language” came to mind.

I was again reminded of this when a good friend, Dr. Christy Vincent, led a recent discussion on KPIs. In this case, it was not Key Performance Indicators we were focusing on but Key Polarity Indicators.

We started the discussion on an intriguing framework called “Six Polarities of Leadership,” articulated by Andiron, a consultancy specializing in leadership development programs.

The framework of the Six Polarities of Leadership states that effective leadership (and life in general) requires navigating a set of polarities - qualities or approaches that may seem like opposites but are, in fact, complementary and essential.

The six polarities outlined are:

·????? Action Vs. Reflection

·????? Challenge vs. Support

·????? Stability vs. Change

·????? Exuding Confidence vs. Exuding Warmth

·????? Task Focus vs. Relationship Focus

·????? Direct vs. Empower

Again, these choices appear to be opposites, right?

We drive ourselves to either action or reflection. We don’t typically contemplate how we can utilize both concurrently.

However, perhaps we should. Because, in reality, leaders shouldn’t see these as “either/or” choices at all.

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Embracing Both Sides Of The Polarities

As Dr. Vincent explained Andiron’s process of encouraging thought and action, she spoke of how leaders can be empowered by the perspective of Both/And.

Namely, the goal is to find a way to embody both sides of each polarity rather than defaulting to one extreme or the other.

For example, with “Challenge vs. Support,” the tendency might be to either relentlessly push people to improve (challenge) or coddle them (support). Yet, the ideal is to do both - to challenge people in a way that ultimately supports their growth and development.

Similarly, with “Stability vs. Change,” we might think we must choose between maintaining the status quo or constantly disrupting things. But the sweet spot is finding ways that change can support stability - adapting to new technologies or market shifts to sustain long-term success.

It’s fascinating to view the rest of the polarities as a combination. You don’t have to pick between being confident or warm, focusing on tasks or relationships, selfishness or selflessness.

The goal is to find the right balance and integration of these seemingly opposed qualities.

How Do These Polarities Help Us Through Life’s Challenges Too?

Ironically, The Six Polarities Of Effective Leadership isn’t a framework that applies exclusively to leadership but to life.

After all, we face these kinds of polarities daily - ways of being that may seem contradictory but are complementary and crucial for thriving.

The key is developing the self-awareness and agility to navigate these polarities skillfully. It’s about understanding your natural tendencies and blind spots, then consciously working to cultivate the qualities you may be neglecting.

It’s a powerful model for becoming more effective, well-rounded and fulfilled. By learning to hold opposites in creative tension, we can unlock new personal and professional success levels.

Six More Polarities To Arrive At Better Outcomes

While our discussion began by addressing the polarities of leadership and how to bring them together, there are also Six Polarities of Humanity to help shift how we act and react to a variety of circumstances. We’ll explore that set in much greater depth in our next post. Much like the Six Polarities of Leadership, you'll find that this way of thinking may not be how we traditionally contemplate and execute. Still, with some work, surprisingly better outcomes await us.

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Understanding how to bring the polarities of leadership together in an actionable plan is hardly an endeavor you should tackle alone. And you don’t have to when you can collaborate and partner with Spitulnik Advisors.

As a leadership coaching and advisory practice, we can show you how to create energizing combinations with each polarity that transform your perspective – and in all likelihood, inspiring your team in the process too.

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Let’s get started at 312.593.3181 or email us at [email protected].

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