Leadership = Managing Paradoxes (Not Solving Problems)
If you're someone who feels pulled in opposite directions every day, you're not alone. The tension is real, and it won't go away.
Today's leaders face what researchers call paradoxes—situations where contradictory demands must be addressed at the same time, not one after the other.
These aren't problems you solve once, but ongoing tensions you navigate, which cannot be solved by using traditional leadership frameworks and solutions.
End of "One Right Way"
Harvard Business Publishing surveyed over 1,100 leadership development professionals in 2024. Seventy percent said it was critical for leaders need to master a wider range of behaviours to meet current business needs.
The old playbook no longer works, because aspiring to master a specific leadership style that can render someone a great leader is out-of-date, problematic, and unsuccessful in today’s complex, rapidly changing environment.
Nowadays, leadership requires the abilities to assess situations appropriately and then possess the right skills to adapt to the circumstances accordingly.
Paradoxical leadership continues to grow substantially, especially in the last five years.
Five Common Paradoxes
1. Exploration vs. Exploitation (Innovation vs. Stability)
You need breakthrough ideas, but you also need operations running smoothly. Organizations must fulfill existing demands and enable future innovation at the same time.
2. Autonomy vs. Control
Your team needs freedom, but you're accountable for results. Research shows paradoxical leadership means embracing both simultaneously.
3. Short-term vs. Long-term
Hitting your targets, while also investing in work that benefits the long-term. Studies document that organizations grapple with both daily.
4. Global vs. Local
Scaling the business, while making sure it is tailored to the local community without full customization (too expensive). The challenge is that the one-size-fits-all does not work in this age of personalization.
5. Profit vs. Purpose
Drive financial performance while advancing social and environmental goals. These used to seem contradictory, but both are expected nowadays. Depending on your company, this can look different and needs to be managed differently.
Paradoxical Leadership is Different
Compared to many other leadership styles, paradoxical leadership can be easily paired with other types of default/preferred leadership styles (e.g., transformative leadership while actively managing paradoxes).
It has also been described as a “double-edged sword” leading to both positive and negative outcomes, depending on the context and employee mindset.
When managed well, paradoxical leadershipformance, creativity, and innovation.
Both/And Mindset
INSEAD research shows that leaders with a paradox mindset:
Recognize two opposite/contradictory things can be true at the same time (e.g., Lego’s example of leading while also stepping back into background)
Understand how paradoxes are can be reframed as valuable instead of a mere obstacle to deal with
Build organizations with higher resilience and performance to remain competitive
Bottom Line
Leading successfully in organizations today means you can:
Manage two contradictory things at once;
Recognize how you influence the positive/negative outcomes; and,
Adapt appropriately when things change.
