The Next Next Common Sense
called “dynamic balance”—energy-generating tensions within cohesive direction. Constructive tension management manifests in several team practices: Polarity mapping. Teams visualize tensions as polarities to be man- aged rather than problems to be solved. When professional services firm PwC’s leadership navigates the tension between innovation and reliability, it uses “Polarity Mapping” techniques that identify how overemphasis on either pole creates negative consequences, maintaining dynamic balance. Tension role assignment. Teams explicitly distribute responsibility for representing different sides of key tensions. When pharmaceutical company Novartis makes research investment decisions, its leadership team assigns specific executives to advocate for high-risk exploration and others for dependable exploitation, ensuring both perspectives receive full consideration. Synthesis processes. Teams create structured methods for integrat- ing diverse perspectives rather than forcing false consensus. When tech- nology company Adobe resolves product strategy tensions, its leadership uses “Integrative Decision-Making” processes that explicitly seek solutions incorporating multiple perspectives rather than choosing between them. These approaches create what organizational theorist Barry Johnson called “polarity management”—handling interdependent opposites as complementary rather than competing forces. Team Coherence Development Program While individual practices support leadership team effectiveness, the most successful organizations implement comprehensive development programs that systematically build team coherence. These programs integrate multiple interventions into coherent journeys rather than iso- lated events. Professional services firm Accenture demonstrates this integrated ap- proach through its “Coherent Leadership Team” program—a multi-phase development journey for senior teams. Rather than relying on sporadic
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