Transcending Polarities: Takeaways from Global Summit 2024

How much does your organization’s outward messaging match up with the internal reality? Mismatches can be particularly noticeable when it comes to sustainability efforts, which gives rise to the term greenwashing – when organizations have a glossy outward image that contradicts the picture on the inside.  

Companies often come at the issue from the inside out, by expressing immeasurable intentions or unsubstantiated claims to the market. Instead, it makes more sense to start from the outside in, say Dr Alexandra Stubbings, Adjunct Faculty Member and Research Fellow, and Matt Gitsham, Professor of Business and Sustainable Development of Hult International Business School. This means gathering feedback from external stakeholders to understand market perception and incentivize internal change.   

The Talik model shows this in more detail: 

When dealing with complex polarities, we need to hear multiple perspectives to find holistic solutions. This is often hindered by the ‘groupthink’ phenomenon, whereby people reach the same conclusion without engaging in critical thought. Sharon Olivier, Professor of Practice in Leadership at Hult International Business School, shared a powerful alternative: generative conversation. It prioritizes learning by moving the dialogue from ‘yes, but’ to ‘yes, and’. Rather than trying to ‘win’ against colleagues, it allows original ideas to take hold. 

We can’t hold these kinds of conversations without psychological safety. “This means creating a culture where people feel free to share without judgment,” says Dr Lee Waller, Professor of Occupational Psychology at Hult International Business School. “Without it, nobody speaks up or challenges each other.” Having a psychologically safe environment means an organization can hear different perspectives, and move away from an oppositional mindset.   

To communicate effectively, language is also a priority for any organization with international operations. In his demonstration of EF’s Hyperclass, Tim Ackroyd, VP of Creative and Design at EF EdTech, highlighted the balance between human and AI interaction in language learning. We recently reported on how AI is impacting language learning – the bottom line is that AI capabilities are supercharging human teachers. 

As the Global Summit drew to a close, Barbara Wang, Professor of Leadership and Management at Hult International Business School, drew on Eastern philosophy to illustrate the concept of servant leadership. It might sound like an oxymoron, but the servant leader ultimately acts to transform their people and provide them with purpose. 

Servant leadership is at odds with the traditional hierarchies we’re used to seeing, but there’s a growing appetite among the workforce for authenticity and humility in leadership far more than confidence (and certainly not egos).  

To effectively serve their people, leaders need to embrace the polarities that exist in the workplace. To illustrate this, Wang highlighted the yin-yang symbol, which traditionally represents integration and interconnectivity – this includes contradiction. ‘Either/or’ thinking imposes inflexible boundaries, whereas we need holistic, ‘both/and’ solutions. 

Organizations can’t have certainty in everything, especially during times of change, but building awareness around polarities means leaders can navigate the ambiguity to be as future-ready as possible.