The Power of Paradox

Author’s Notes

How Paradox Thinking Is Natural and Learned

I have thought in terms of opposites and contradictions much of my life. I had an authoritarian father (powerful pastor) and a permissive mother (exceptional artist), and even as a young child, I saw stark differences in how they parented. I recall choosing selectively what I would take from each: I’ll take this from my mom and that from my dad. So a both/and approach to issues, challenges, and opportunities was a natural part of my life for as long as I could remember. Much later, my predisposition toward thinking “and” became part of an intentional skill set that I have used to help organizations of all sizes avert disasters and exploit opportunities.

My first academic and professional ...