In the complex world of organizational leadership, a fundamental understanding of polarities and their impact on success is becoming increasingly essential. The seminal book “Navigating Polarities” co-authored by…
Across the six polarities—Action::Reflection, Stability::Change, Challenge::Support, Competence::Warmth, Task Focus::Relationship Focus, and Direct::Empower—the same pattern holds. Leaders don’t resolve these tensions once and for all; they practice the art…
Leaders are expected to keep things on track. If they don’t provide direction, expectations are unclear, nothing gets accomplished, and the systems they lead—individuals, teams, organizations, etc. are…
Leaders have jobs to do—things to check off the list. And they need to do them in a way that doesn’t leave people behind or disengaged. While leaders…
Two of the big things people look for in leaders are: do they have the ability, skills, and strength to lead us where we’re going, and will they…
To excel, leaders need to set a high bar and push people to accomplish bigger and better things. While this challenge is necessary to achieve excellence, it can…
Change is a leadership imperative—without it, leaders and their organizations become stagnant and fall behind. However, too much change and a neglect of stability and continuity creates chaos…
Leaders get things done. They advance an ever-growing list of to-dos and initiatives in the name of progress. But this focus on movement, when overused, drives an “I’m…
Let’s start with this caveat: this is not a comprehensive treatise on complexity and is not meant to be THE way to lead in complexity. But it’s powerful because it’s a two-for-one leadership move. …
When one of the FCCS leadership consultants first read the book: Navigating Polarities: Using Both/And Thinking to Lead Transformation by Brian Emerson, it sparked what she described as…
Successful leaders don’t choose between purpose and profit—they integrate them. Purpose connects teams to a mission, driving trust and engagement. Profit sustains that mission, providing the foundation to…