Managing Polarities

TIE has partnered with Jennifer Abrams to offer this timely and thoughtful series, supporting international educators with resources and reflections for leading and communicating effectively in today’s complex and polarized world.

I wish I could say that the news since my last article hasn't given me additional proof that the world is becoming more polarized and uncertain. But the reality continues to show us, worldwide, that we are living in a VUCA time—volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. This series of articles aims to provide just-in-time, quick-to-apply strategies to help us remain thoughtful, capable, and steady in the midst of these moments. Each piece explores how we, as international school leaders, can model for others what it means to be emotionally self-regulated, mature, and respectful educators, even when the ground beneath us is shifting.

There are moments when we must stand firmly for what is right, safe, and just for our students. These articles are not about standing down in moments of injustice. Rather, they are about fostering understanding of underlying concerns and of each other’s perspectives. In our communications, we must aim to reduce “social friction.” The intellectual and emotional challenges are already big enough. Of course, polarizing times will look different in Africa than they will in South America, different in Asia than they might in the Middle East. Contextual awareness must inform how we use these skills in our schools.

The first article in this series, Navigating in Polarizing Times, focused on acknowledging the complexity leaders face and explored how we can stay grounded and model emotionally intelligent leadership. The second article, Suspending Certainty, encouraged leaders to cultivate curiosity over defensiveness in order to foster deeper understanding and reduce polarization. This third article is about the skill of managing polarities: the work of recognizing that many of the problems in front of us cannot be solved, only managed. These persistent tensions require both/and thinking, not either/or decision-making.

What Is Polarity Management?

Polarity management is a concept coined by Barry Johnson in the 1970s to describe dilemmas that are not problems to be solved, but polarities to be managed. Like inhaling and exhaling, some tensions are ongoing and necessary to balance. Attempting to eliminate one side can cause instability and harm. Instead, leaders must learn to recognize these dualities and intentionally rebalance them over time.

In schools, we regularly face situations where two seemingly opposing values are both essential. For example:

• Autonomy and alignment
• Flexibility and clarity
• Needs of students and needs of staff
• Work and home
• Continuity and change
• Tradition and transformation 

Just like a playground seesaw, both sides are needed. We mustn’t “tip the seesaw” too far in either direction. If one side dominates too long, the whole system becomes unbalanced. By reflecting on specific situational questions, leaders can create a game plan for managing polarities and balancing the seesaw:

• Recognize and name the polarity: What values or needs are in tension here?
• Clarify the upsides: What does each perspective or approach bring that’s essential?
• Examine the risk of overemphasizing either side: What would happen if I overemphasized one side of this tension? What would be lost if one dominates?
• Monitor indicators and adjust: What signs will tell us we’ve tipped too far? How will we rebalance? How will we know when we’ve found a good equilibrium? 

Consider the polarity of continuity vs. change. A school may want to honor long-held traditions and practices that foster community identity (continuity). At the same time, evolving research, student needs, or other efforts may require significant shifts (change). Leaders may feel pulled to choose between the two, but framing this as an either/or decision leads to unnecessary conflict or resistance.

Instead, leaders can use their game plan to rebalance:

• Recognize and name the polarity: We are navigating between honoring our traditions and embracing necessary transformation.
• Clarify the upsides: Continuity fosters trust and stability; change fuels growth and relevance.
• Examine the risk of overemphasizing either side: Too much continuity risks stagnation; too much change risks alienating the community.
• Monitor indicators and adjust: Too much continuity looks like this… and we can adjust by doing this… Too much change looks like this… and we can adjust by… Equilibrium looks like this…

This mindset helps reduce the instinct to pick a side and invites others into thoughtful, shared leadership.

In polarizing times, people often become startled or reactive when faced with differing perspectives. Tipping the seesaw—verbally disagreeing, dismissing, or escalating—may feel like the only choice. And sometimes, for safety or clarity decisive action is warranted. But many times, we need to resist that binary impulse and work toward integration, not opposition. For example, closing schools during the start of COVID was a necessary and healthy choice. Yet after a bit, that was not a realistic way to maintain, and we needed to rebalance. 

To manage polarities well, we must shift to curiosity, widen our lens, and make visible what’s often invisible. None of this is easy. It requires self-regulation, awareness of others, and the mental flexibility to sit in complexity. But it’s a vital mindset for healthier conversations, stronger communities, and more sustainable leadership.

Read the introduction to Navigating in Polarizing Times, the importance of Suspending Certainty, and Listen Now to hear more from Jennifer Abrams on the Voice of TIE Podcast.