Dealing with contradictions

Leadership as a Balancing Act... also a piece of Mountain Leadership - Part 1

"A first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." Scott Fitzgerald In the mountains and in leadership, there are high levels of dangers and contradictions, even when the weather is beautiful. At any moment, one can fall into an unexpected crevasse, miss an important trend, or stand on the edge of an abyss. The challenge is to be responsible for the future, even though it is more uncertain than ever. A huge contradiction! Welcome to the land of paradoxes and contradictions! Modern business administration has largely excluded the social dimension, which contributed to its scientific advancement - but also led to a series of concepts that fail in concrete situations due to their simplicity. Successful leadership, on the other hand, knows how to deal wisely with the paradoxes of a complex environment. For example, it manages to build a coherent organization while keeping the employees engaged. Our thesis is now: a good entrepreneur knows how to navigate in a complex environment. While an engineer is used to mechanistic systems and therefore prefers clarity, the entrepreneur is a specialist in dealing with ambiguous situations, often causing confusion in their environment. One of their great strengths is ambiguity tolerance, the ability to deal with contradictions or ambiguities. Instead of thinking in either-or categories, they often find an intelligent solution in the sense of "both are possible" or "it can be done completely differently." Let's take a closer look at this leadership style, this balancing act of both-and. This appears all the more rewarding as contradictory situations increase in an increasingly complex world. Thus, the ability to lead in a balanced way gains importance - instead of being blocked like Buridan's donkey facing alternatives. How does the entrepreneur achieve this balancing act of both-and, which is foreign to most managers, even though they are paid to bring clarity to complex situations? Entrepreneurs, as well as artists and innovators, are masters of this second form. Thinking outside the box is part of their work. They usually do not react according to old patterns but understand how to recognize the opportunities of a specific situation. As a characteristic of his boss, a senior employee says: "CEO of a large family company: 'Our CEO has the high ability to lead loosely but to delve extremely deeply into important matters.'" A balancing artist and surely, perhaps also good on the ridges of the world. Sometimes right... sometimes left... to avoid falling, sometimes taking several steps on one side, sometimes like this... sometimes like that... but with clarity and courage. More in Part 2 coming soon.

Thoughts of a Manager

How do I actually deal with ambiguities and contradictions? The best way to answer this is to look at how I go through life: Do I love clarity, clear statements, am I an either-or type? Characteristic of this is the saying: "You can't be a little pregnant!" Or: "If you're not for me, you're against me." When there are many forks in the road, it tends to make me uncomfortable, even overwhelmed. Or am I the systematic ambivalence handler with a well-stocked toolbox - with analyses, risk considerations, and models, criteria catalogs, algorithms, and consulting expertise. The saying goes: Life may be complicated, but with tools and analysis, I can manage it. Or am I a specialist in thinking outside the box and questioning, for going beyond boundaries? I love the unfamiliar, experiments, and reinvention, combined with a good dose of ambiguity search. Doubts do not bother me. Wolfgang Zimmermann, the leadership expert for times of change, Speaker and visionary for entrepreneurially led organizations.