“The ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function” F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Our minds crave simplicity. We like habits, patterns and predictability but this is no longer the world we live in. Conventional thinking, where we focus on the linear points and look for the obvious A to BE connection, worked well for the problems of the past. In today’s world, we need to step back and welcome all the complex points for all decisions. The more we see the multi-directional and nonlinear relationships and how they fit into the whole, the more likely we’ll be able to be creative in how we find solutions in the greyness of this world.
Another way to think about it is to shift your mindset from an either/or point of view, into one that looks for the both/and solutions. The more senior we become or the more of life that we see, the more we realise that there are no black and white answers. Instead, we have to flow with context in order to manage the tensions that arise between opposing ideas. Every day brings a different “answer” but the more at ease we are with shifting along with it, the wiser we are as leaders.