Managing Polarities

NOVEMBER 19, 2020 | 3:00-4:00pm (Athens GMT+2)

Today’s leadership demands and opportunities are complex and often uncharted. At no time has the need for mindful adaptivity been so urgent, requiring focused, efficient and effective response to profound disruptive change. Natural tensions exist within individuals, groups and organizations when missions, identities, values, mental models and expected behaviors rapidly shift.

The polarity management framework and the underlying principles provide a practical set of resources for dealing with all polarities in life. Polarities are ongoing, chronic issues which are both unavoidable and unsolvable. Through this work, leaders can consciously use personal and group tensions, diversity and divergent thinking as resources for developing high performing cultures that promote community and productivity.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will walk away with...

• Increased confidence in readily identifying and naming tensions in daily life;
• Understanding of the principles and tools for managing system polarities;
• A mindset of embracing ambiguity and paradox;
• Ways to increase the benefits of diverse perspectives;
• Maps and language for using polarity principles to help mediate self, individuals, and groups toward balance

Handout

» DOWNLOAD HANDOUT: Please read pages 1-4, marking important ideas before the Webinar. Printing for use during the webinar is advised.

Mindful Adaptive Leadership

Today’s leadership demands and opportunities are complex and often uncharted. At no time has the need for mindful adaptivity been so urgent, requiring focused, efficient and effective response to profound disruptive change. Natural tensions exist within individuals, groups and organizations when missions, identities, values, mental models and expected behaviors rapidly shift.

Mindful adaptive leaders are grounded and aware of these competing tensions and thoughtfully lift them to the system’s consciousness; support people in navigating endings and new beginnings; and structure psychologically safe staff collaborative cultures, both physically and virtually, to plan for meeting student, staff, and community needs. Successful adaptive leaders are present, reflective and mindful. They value going slow to go fast. Yet, mindfulness is often counterintuitive in demanding times.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will walk away with...

1. Enhanced personal and leadership consciousness, flexibility and efficacy;
2. Awareness of reflective strategies and mindful practices for empowering self and others;
3. Powerful questions to shape collaborative innovative thinking, conversations and actions.

Essential Question

In what ways might mindfulness support adaptivity and leadership during challenging times?