Helen Nutkins retweetledi
Leading change demands deep emotional strength & self-awareness. Leaders of change have to balance an “inner battle” between agency (the need to drive momentum & action towards the vision) & ambivalence (identify risks, invite reflection & apply caution before proceeding). Typically, agency vs. ambivalence isn’t a resolvable “either/or”; it’s a “both/&” tension that leaders of change have to constantly hold & manage. @RonCarucci says we have to consider this tension across five critical dimensions of inner conflict:
1) Voice: Inspiring others with a compelling picture of the future, yet inviting dissent.
2) Ideas: Reframing possibilities with imagination while fostering unity.
3) Passion: Emotionally fuelling the cause of change & encouraging others to make their own connection to the cause.
4) Discontent: Challenging the status quo productively.
5) Conviction: Believing in the need for change but being flexible about the approach.
The leaders who succeed at transformation are those who can live with the tension, read the conditions & repeatedly recalibrate that mix without overfocussing on either extreme for long.
The author sets out advice to recognise the dimensions, watch for signs that they’re out of balance & use “guardrails” for sustaining balance as a leader of change:
hbr.org/2025/09/the-re…
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