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Polarity Maps from
Chapter 9 of "Hug of War"

1 Inhale and Exhale.png
2 Family First and Business First 20pt.png

List of Polarities from
Chapter 9 of "Hug of War"

Common Leadership Polarities

• My way :: your way

• Control :: trust

• Doing :: delegating

• Relaxed :: driven

• Care for self :: care for others

• Minimize conflict :: embrace conflict

• Follow rules :: question rules

• Perfect :: good enough

• Tell :: ask

• Trusting :: skeptical

• Evolutionary :: revolutionary

• Think :: feel

• Urgent :: patient

• Disrupt :: stabilize

• Wield power :: share power

• Guide :: empower

• Exude competence :: exude warmth

• Competitive :: collaborative

• Planned :: opportunistic

• Diplomatic :: candid

• Power in knowing :: power in not knowing

• Analysis :: intuition

• Relationship :: task

• Challenge :: support

• Confidence :: humility

• Leading :: following

• Visionary :: pragmatic

• Accommodating :: demanding

• Daring :: careful

• Calming :: stimulating

• Fast :: thorough

• Directive :: participative

• Individual decisions :: team decisions

• Strategy :: execution

• Efficiency :: effectiveness

• Stability :: change

• Innocent :: political

• Soft-spoken :: forceful

• Fun :: focused

• Focus on results :: focus on process

• Creative :: logical

• Action :: reflection

• Hold lightly :: take seriously

• Appreciate what is :: ask for more

• Develop bonds :: maintain distance

• Diverse :: homogeneous

• Spend :: save

• Form :: function

• Simple :: detailed

• Customize :: standardize

• Formal :: informal

• Broad :: narrow

• Spontaneous :: planned

• Freedom :: security

• Long term :: short term

• Trust in self :: trust in others

• Mission :: margin (common in nonprofits)

Common Family Business Polarities
• Love :: logic
• Family mindset :: business mindset
• Emotional :: rational
• Belonging :: autonomy
• Invest :: harvest
• Mine :: ours
• Privileges :: responsibilities
• Equal :: equitable (or fair)
• Home :: work
• Hierarchical :: egalitarian
• Centralize :: decentralize
• Independent :: interdependent • Same :: different
• Cooperative :: competitive
• Long-term investment :: short-term results
Common Succession and
Estate Planning Polarities
• Equal :: equitable (fair)
• Same :: different
• Reveal :: conceal
• Security :: risk
• Go along with the group :: go it alone
• Planning :: action
• Learn by experience :: teach from experience
• Merit :: inherit
• Support :: struggle
• Trust :: control
• Share :: keep
• Tradition :: innovation
• Vulnerability :: protection
• Privileges :: responsibilities
• Cooperate :: compete
• Sooner :: later
• Urgent :: patient
• Proactive :: reactive
• Unconditional acceptance :: conditional acceptance
• Enjoy now :: delay gratification
Common Governance Polarities
• We :: me
• Flexibility :: structure
• Include :: exclude
• Debate :: decide
• Same :: different
• Command :: cocreate
• Unconditional acceptance :: conditional acceptance
• Bottom up :: top down
• Independence :: interdependence
• Enabling :: constraining
• Go it alone :: go along with the group
• Fun :: focused
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