Holding Two Truths Is a Leadership Skill
Business leaders need less “or” thinking.
You can increase revenue OR stabilize profitability.
You can acquire more clients OR stay within your budget.
You can hire a new team member OR accept slower progress.
These “or” concepts basically boil down to: you can spend money to grow, or you can temper your expectations.
What we need is more “and” thinking.
Two things can be true, even if they seem to be in conflict with one another. And the ability to hold two truths, even when it’s difficult, is a valuable leadership skill.
Holding two truths is not easy. People are drawn to stories, and we like nice, clean narratives to explain the world around us.
But the world is messier than that, and so is business.
Clinging to one storyline is risky. It usually requires reducing expectations, lowering standards, or spending far more than you’re comfortable with.
Holding only one truth puts you in a scarcity mindset: it’s this OR that, but both is not an option. As soon as you buy in, the truth becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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Case in point: last week, I wrote about the trap of seeking clarity. People are often giving you their answer without precisely saying so. Receiving that message is enough: you don’t need to know the “why” or the rationale behind someone’s actions. That is true.
It is also true that you should seek to better understand your customers and your employees. You want to know what makes them tick, how to engage them, and how to keep them. And if they start blowing you off or leaving in droves, you need to figure out why.
Are these ideas in conflict? Not really. They’re situation-dependent. As a leader, it’s my responsibility to hold both concepts and act accordingly in any given moment.
That’s hard to explain, because there’s not one simple rule you can follow 100% of the time. But hey, that’s leadership. Navigating the unknown and making judgment calls is part of the game.
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Fair warning: even the most senior leaders in a company may balk at this idea. When ideas seem to conflict with one another, it’s hard to know how to win. And your leadership team, if they’re strong, probably wants very much to win.
But the scarcity mindset of “this OR that,” and the limited thinking that results, holds a company back. Conversations circle around what you can’t do instead of what you can.
If you’re willing to persist, the tension of two truths can force more creative solutions. A third way that accomplishes both goals. Something innovative or new that you hadn’t considered before.
What seems to cage you in actually opens up a range of possibilities.
Talk to your competitors.
Look for examples outside your industry.
Imagine flipping the best practices on their heads.
Far more often than what we believe, what seems impossible is actually doable.
(Someone in your space may be doing it already.)
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There’s a leadership team member at one of our clients who uses a simple phrase: “Open your mind.”
She’s the one who sold $20 million in her first 6 months on the job.
What truths are in conflict in your organization right now? And what would happen if you held them both, instead of backing down or accepting less?
I’d like to hear what you’re working through. Hit reply and let me know.
