11 POLARITIES THAT GREAT LEADERS MANAGE WELL

Barry Johnson, author of Polarity Management  identified 11 polarities that great leaders manage well. If you are a leader at any level—or just want to take the lead in your own your life—the following will prove invaluable.  A polarity is a set of poles or positions that appear to be opposites, creating an either/or situation.

 

 

11 Polarities that great leaders manage well

Review the following polarities. Successful leaders access both ways of operating—thus avoiding the inevitable morass created when one pole always  wins and the other always loses.

1. Establishing close contact with subordinates (which enhances communication and trust) AND keeping a distance (which allows for objectivity in decision-making).
2. Being highly visible/leading the way (standing as a symbol for the mission and vision) AND receding into the background (helping others to step up and own the mission and vision).
3. Showing confidence in subordinates (trusts people and assumes their capability) AND holding people accountable (shows your interest in performance and allows you to give coaching).
4. Being open-minded and accepting of variation (shows tolerance for innovation and individualistic performance) AND being normative, requiring certain standards (keeps people doing things the way you want them done).
5. Fighting for your own unit (loyalty is a key to teamwork) AND going all out for company objectives (seeing the big picture can lead to greater motivation).
6. Tight scheduling of your time (makes for greater efficiency) AND being accessible for spontaneous moments (keeps you in touch with the rest of the world.
7. Being direct in expressing your opinions and feelings (people know where you stand and don’t have to guess) AND being diplomatic (restraint may be needed to smooth the path for what you want done).
8. Forgetting today (being a visionary, focusing on the possibilities leads to breakthroughs) AND forgetting tomorrow (tending to the knitting helps you address today’s problems).
9. Going for consensus (creates ownership and ensures greater follow-through) AND making decisions quickly (cuts through the mess and avoids paralysis by a small unhappy group).
10. Being dynamic (drive and a sense of urgency are essential ingredients in high-performance) AND being prudent (thoughtfulness leads to more input in decision-making, avoiding impulsive mistakes).
11. Being self-assured (creates confidence in subordinates) AND being humble (avoids the pitfalls of arrogance).

Which way do you “lean on each of these polarities?” (Everybody is predisposed to lean one way or the other.) Great leaders sense when it is time to lean the other way and have the courage to act.

Read Barry Johnson’s book, Polarity Management, to go deeper with this