Beyond Polarity

EVERYTHING is different now.

There isn’t a business, government, non-profit or social institution of consequence that has not been rocked in some fundamental way by the events of the past two years. From the coronavirus plague to the climate crisis to social justice movements like #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, disruption rules the day. And status quo thinking framed by the extraordinary events of our time can only lead to one end: extinction.

BEYOND POLARITY has tracked ways to move beyond entrenched habits of leadership, governance (distinct from government) and business. Over the past four years, the blog has illustrated long-held beliefs, legacy habits, and managerial systems—bedrock clung to like a life raft. Even well meaning enterprises and their leaders are making critical missteps—locating themselves in the space between doing nothing (bad) and doing something for the sake of “doing something” (worse).

Enter TEACHING THE DINOSAUR TO DANCE: Moving Beyond Business as Usual.

I’m delighted to share this announcement of a new book—with an entire chapter dedicated to the challenges of polarization. Using the dinosaur as a metaphor for people who are attached to ‘business as usual’, this book introduces a new framework — “The Dance Moves” — to move past fossilized thinking and establish new models of resiliency, innovation and sustainable growth. 

Filled with powerful case studies, tried-and-true organizational tools, and compelling narrative storytelling drawn from my personal experiences in places as diverse as oil-rich Alberta and Nigeria, the farming communities of southern Ontario, and remote places in nations including Yemen, Indonesia and Colombia, TEACHING THE DINOSAUR TO DANCE offers a clear-eyed, solutions-driven roadmap that will empower the reader to rethink, redesign and execute enterprise revitalization… and possibly even transformation.

With contributions from Andre Mamprin (whose Essential Elements of Leadership is the product of applied research, observation and documented evidence from more than 4,800 leaders), TEACHING THE DINOSAUR TO DANCE is a pragmatic guidebook for business, social enterprise of every sort, and governance looking for ways to evolve and not perish.

It’s futile to keep running headlong at impenetrable power structures; to engage in polarized battles that have no genuine hope of dialogue; to keep pretending that marketing slogans reflect an organization’s values.  The status quo isn’t working, and willpower and good intentions alone will not sustain efforts to rebuild or launch an enterprise in a post-pandemic world.

It’s going to be the job of everyone to figure out new ways to incentivize people who are stuck in their thinking to do things differently. 

For more information on this new book due out early March 2022, check out our brand new website. For a quick introduction to the book, have a look at this short video.