Harvard psychology of leadership 1508 02 janus

Psychology 1508:
Janusian Thinking

“The goal in leadership development, it is important to
remember, is to develop well-rounded leaders, ones with
the skills and personal attributes needed to adapt, act
with flexibility, and combine what appear to be opposites:
toughness and compassion, self-confidence and
humility, strong individuals and good team players.”
Russ Moxley, Center for Creative Leadership


Janusian Thinking
“conceiving two or more opposite or antithetical
ideas, images or concepts simultaneously.”
Robert Rothenberg


“We see everything as this or that, plus or minus, on
or off, black or white; and we fragment reality into an
endless series of either-ors. In a phrase, we think
the world apart.”
Parker Palmer

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

Thinking the World Together

“Paradoxical thinking requires that we embrace a
view of the world in which opposites are joined,
so that we can see the world clearly and see it
whole... The result is a world more complex and
confusing than the one made simple by either-or
thought—but that simplicity is merely the
dullness of death. When we think together, we
reclaim the life force in the world, in our students,


Janusian Leadership

“Ben Franklin was a paradox. He fiercely believed
in the power of the individual, but he was a
relentless advocate for acting on behalf of the
community. He believed in competition, but he
never hesitated to cooperate with competitors when
it was in his interest. He could be the most partisan
of politicians—and the most accomodating of
diplomats.”
Jack Uldrich


Myth

: You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Reality : Rather than succumbing to the “tyranny
of the OR” they embrace the “genius of the AND.”


Progress through Synthesis
•
•
•
•

Person OR Situation?
Democratic OR Authoritarian?
Dogmatism OR Relativism?
Tough OR Nice?


Person OR Situation?


“The history of the world is but the biography of great
men.”
Thomas Carlyle

“Man lives consciously for himself, but is an
unconscious instrument in the attainment of historic,
universal, aims of humanity. A deed done is
irrevocable, and its result coinciding in time with the
actions of millions of other men assumes an historic
significance. The higher a man stands on the social
ladder, the more people he is connected with and

“The Negro race, like all
races, is going to be saved
by its exceptional men. The
problem of education, then,
among Negroes must first of
all deal with the Talented
Tenth; it is the problem of
developing the Best of this
race that they may guide the
Mass away from the
contamination and death of
the Worst, in their own and
other races.”


Does Leadership Matter?
• No! (Lieberson & O’Connor, 1972)

“Studies estimating the effect of administrators
have found them to account for about 10
percent of the variance in organizational
performance. [This is] a striking contrast to the
90 percent of intellectual effort that has been
devoted to developing theories of individual


Leadership Matters
• Between versus Within (Thomas, 1987)

• Skipper Effect (Thorlindsson, 1987)


Person AND Situation
“Historical forces create the circumstances in which
leaders emerge, but the characteristics of the
particular leader in turn have their impact on history.”
John Gardner




Person AND Situation
“Historical forces create the circumstances in which
leaders emerge, but the characteristics of the
particular leader in turn have their impact on history.”
John Gardner

“Historical performances come from great
opportunities greatly met.”


Hitler

Ataturk

Ayatollah Humeini

“It would be a profound disservice to leaders to suggest

that they are ordinary people who happened to be in the
right place at the right time. Maybe the place matters,
but it takes a special kind of person to master the


Democratic OR Authoritarian?


Democracy as Solution to Authoritarianism
• Kurt Lewin (1939)
– democratic leadership
– laissez faire leadership
– authoritarian leadership

“Hierarchical organizations are simply too inflexible
and rigid to compete effectively in today’s business
environment... They need to be replaced by lateral
forms of organizations that rely heavily on teams,
information technology, networks, shared


Democracy Is Not Enough
One sure way to miss truth in any field is to count
the votes: had Copernicus and Galileo done so, the
sun might still be circling the earth.
Parker Palmer
“I wonder how far Moses would have gone had he’d
taken a poll in Egypt.”
Harry Truman
• Going against the grain (when necessary)

• Pseudo leaders


Contingency Theory (Fiedler, 1969)
“The ablest and most effective leaders do not hold to a
single style; they may be highly supportive in personal
relations when that is needed, yet capable of a quick,
authoritative decision when the situation requires it.”
John Gardner


Dogmatism OR Relativism?


“[Relativism is a] theory, especially in ethics or
aesthetics, that conceptions of truth and moral
values are not absolute but are relative to the
persons or groups holding them.”
American Heritage Dictionary

“Dogmatism is a condition of mind in which essential
practical concepts are perceived with such clarity
that only one possible interpretation of reality exists.
In such a case, all evidence suggesting contrary
interpretations—and therefore alternate courses of


Moral Relativism
“Almost every student entering the university
believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative.”

Allan Bloom


Relativist
• A commitment to open-mindedness and flexibility
• Lacks conviction and certainty for sustained action

Dogmatist
• Possesses conviction and certainty
• Lacks openness and flexibility