An Unintentional Pattern: Tension is the Through-line
To be honest, I was flying blindly for the first three posts on this blog. That’s where all creative projects, at least drafts, begin; searching for something authentic. When you read them together, they’re actually all getting to the same conclusion. Tension isn’t something to run from, it’s something to learn from.
Tension Is An Entry Point
The Heartwired framework doesn’t eliminate someone’s resistance to your idea or try to change a conflicting value / belief, it’s effectiveness is through meeting in the middle where common ground connects. The most effective persuasive messaging doesn’t subliminally tell someone they are wrong but acknowledges what is true and valid about a perspective. Instead of stepping away and avoiding or trying to eliminate tension, the framework suggests embracing it as a form of vulnerability and bridge. You can’t talk someone out of their beliefs, especially if they are strong, but you can walk through them together and find the points of connection.
Tension As Structure
The Leadership Circle provides a common language of opposing forces. They aren’t enemies, but two sides of the same coin. Striving for balance instead of eliminating one polarity is key. Harmony and Authenticity aren’t in opposition, but in symbiosis. Understanding where you land on the leadership circle then creates a map to guide an exploration into other areas to create a balance. I like to think of these polarities like a physical scale, you cannot have one without the other. The polar ends need to be in conversation not in competition.
Tension As Data
My transition to a new graduate program illustrates a tension between what looked great on paper and what felt right and aligned with my passions as a leader. I needed to face the tension and weigh the pros and cons of both sides to make a lasting decision. The discomfort was an important signal that intuition demanded I listen to. There is a version of myself that might have gone through half of a program curriculum before I made the realization that my heart just wasn’t in it the way I intentionally needed my education to be. The program change wasn’t a failure in commitment or an acceptance of inadequacy, it was an empowering shift about personal alignment. My work will be better and more effective when it’s about something that makes me want to read for hours and passionately debate someone. This is getting to the core of what I want my framework to incorporate, how personal values enhance the connection to the work and improves the outcomes.
All three of my blogs guide us to the same place: change doesn’t resolve tension, it requires you to embrace it and work with it. The organizations that are adept to survive change at the ones with structure, common language, and connected culture to hold tension without crumbling. This is what I’m going to graduate school to understand.
My framework doesn’t exist yet but I can feel the silhouette beginning to form. I am going to continue looking for patterns, analyzing frameworks, and documenting transparently throughout my program. I’m two classes into my two year program but these posts reveal a cohesive throughline that will be a foundation I continue to return to: How to Embrace Tension for Enhancement. This is my first brick.
What tensions are you working with right now?
