Written by Susan Kuepfer

We thought it would be helpful to share why we think using the paradox is a great lens to help us improve our leadership skills.

First, we believe that being aware of the paradoxes of leadership helps leaders handle conflicting demands and make effective decisions in a fast-changing world.

Secondly, leadership paradoxes often involve trade-offs between seemingly contradictory elements, such as autonomy and collaboration. Getting better at managing these trade-offs and communicating about them is helpful to any leader.

Thirdly, leadership paradoxes exist in various dimensions, including task-focused versus people-focused approaches, so they apply in just about every aspect of leadership.

Fourthly, if we embrace paradoxes, it helps us develop our innovative thinking, adaptability, and ability to balance competing priorities.

Most importantly, we realized that in all our own leadership experience and those of our clients, the one answer to many of the questions and challenges posed was “it depends.” Being able to figure out the best answer in an “it depends” situation means understanding paradoxes.