The traditional problem-solving process, especially what we learnt as part of our education system, has a single right answer. So, at work, there is a tendency to have an either/or orientation and search for the quintessential one right answer — that has been a great resource for us, both at work and in life.

This traditional problem-solving process needs to get augmented with new thinking as the business world gets more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA), and personal choices get complicated in fast-changing times.

These new complexities require leaders to make a critical shift in their thinking to navigate them. Managing turbulent business times requires navigating conflicting goals, contradictory messages and competing perspectives that can create barriers to great performance. These opposing forces are called polarities.

A polarity is a paradox — a situation in which opposing forces within a system pull at each other to keep things balanced. Polarities are everywhere: In the business world — centralisation and decentralisation, growth v/s profit maximization, or short-term v/s long-term orientation. Similarly, in our personal world — work v/s life balance, liberated v/s conservative mind sets. There is a natural tension between the two and most of us are uncomfortable with this tension.

If we begin to see how all-pervasive these polarities are and deeply embedded in the landscape of our lives, we will see how they can bring on stress and poor outcomes if we continue solving them as traditional problems instead of altering our mindsets to accept the polarities. Thought leaders have proposed a new way of thinking and leading to manage these polarities better, through what is called both/and thinking. This is a new way of seeing and managing dynamic tensions in a complex world and supplements the either/or thinking.

Learn to dance along the pole

‘Strike when the iron is hot’, or ‘patience is a virtue’ — we all know that many such commonly used sayings contradict each other, lying at the opposite ends of a pole. Which end of the pole you lean to will depend on deeply held values, beliefs, assumptions, early conditioning, and our temperament.

‘Haste makes waste’, ‘you are never too old to learn’, ‘it’s better to be safe than sorry’ — most of us hang at one end of the pole. We either prefer action or prefer to plan before action, are either result- or process-oriented.

Here are some more beliefs at the two ends of the pole: ‘There is no time like the present’ — ‘Good things come to those who wait’. ‘If you snooze, you lose’ — ‘slow and steady wins the race’.

There is an upside to each end of the pole, and the problem is there’s also a downside to each end. The solution is to move fluidly and intentionally along the pole.

The place to stand is to see the large picture at both ends of the pole and value both perspectives. The new world belongs to those who complete their thinking by deliberately attempting to understand the alternate perspective. You may discover more commonalities than differences, which help dance along the pole.

Here are some examples of polarities that great leaders need to manage well. Managing polarities is invaluable for anyone wanting to lead in their own lives. Success is when you achieve both — avoiding the stress of one pole, losing at the cost of the other.

Here are some examples of how the magic of the word ‘and’ can augment your thinking:

• Showing confidence in people and holding people accountable for results
• Being open-minded to variation and requiring certain standards of performance to be maintained
• Fighting for your team and keeping the larger company’s interest in mind
• Being direct & candid while expressing opinions and being diplomatic & careful about hurting others
• Being self-assured/confident and being humble (avoiding the pitfalls of arrogance)

Those great at managing such polarities can dance along the pole and succeed if they have the courage to act.