Tim Arnold on Leading with AND

Converge: The Business of Creativity Podcast with Dane Sanders

Today’s conversation with Tim Arnold explores the gray areas that organization leaders encounter when faced with questions that don’t have black and white answers. We seem to be conditioned from an early age to see life in terms of either/or, right and wrong, good and evil, especially when it comes to problem solving. And there’s nothing wrong with this. In fact, it’s an incredibly useful tool for leaders to have. But what about the gray areas? What if polarizing the issue only makes it worse? How do we navigate questions of fairness, values, and creating win-win outcomes?

Dane and Tim discuss how to balance some of these values that often feel paradoxical. Should we lean towards greater responsibility, or more freedom? The answer can be both. Tim shares his own experience with learning to balance the need for stability within a company with his own inner drive to be constantly changing things. With a both/and mindset, he is able to successfully maintain both these seemingly conflicting values.

Tim has over two decades experience running a for profit business and a homeless shelter, and he has learned a lot about how to manage the complexity of tensions that arise within organizations. Currently he works as a speaker and author, helping others learn the tools for leadership success. His latest book is Lead With AND: The Secret to Resilience and Results in a Polarized World.

You can learn more about Tim by visiting Lead With AND

[2:17] Tim tells us his background and what led him to write his book.

[5:42] How it can be a benefit to shift from either/or to both/and thinking when it comes to solving complex problems.

[8:34] Tim gives a real-world example of an organization finding the balance between freedom and responsibility in order to successfully live out its values.

[12:53] Does this kind of thinking come more naturally to certain personality types or people of a certain age or maturity level?

[15:51] Young children see in terms of black and white, good and bad. The ability to navigate the gray areas is something we learn to grow into.

[17:45] Most leader personality types tend to do the either/or thing by nature, so they need to learn both/and thinking as a second language.

[20:24] Tim introduces his assessment tool that helps people successfully identify tensions and gives insight as to how to manage them, available at leadwithand.com

[21:59] Ignoring both/and thinking is like insisting to only inhale without ever exhaling. You’ll suffocate.