3 - Discerning the deeper layers of a paradox - Wendy Smith on Navigating dilemmas, tensions and paradoxes

Wendy Smith speaks about the nuance across these three terms that are often used interchangeably. Tensions are things that pull us in different directions, Dilemmas are daily choices we sometimes have to make and Paradoxes are deeper forces that we need to reconcile.

Wendy Smith speaks about how change, scarcity and plurality lead to the paradoxes becoming more apparent.

Wendy Smith speaks about how we need to discern the various levels of a paradox and warns us against framing problems / situations as an Either/Or.

Just like breath work is often seen as the entry practice for building our capacity for meditation and mindfulness, Wendy Smith invites us to look at how we frame our questions and suggests that as the entry practice to paradox fitness and asks us to focus on making decisions right rather than obsessing over the right decision.

Wendy Smith speaks about the paradox between exploring new possibilities and exploiting existing strengths. She explains that while leaders often frame this as an Either/Or choice, enduring success comes from continuously balancing both—doubling down on what works today while simultaneously investing in learning, experimentation and preparing for tomorrow. She argues that the goal is not to divide time equally between the two, but to remain committed to holding both tensions over time.

Wendy Smith speaks about 3 common responses to Either / Or problems. Rabbit Holes (going deep into a strategy), Wrecking Balls (over compensating and swinging hard to the other side) and Trench Warfare (not listening to cues from the world and finding reasons to double down on our beliefs)

Wendy Smith speaks about how we all can develop a bifocal lens that could help us see the various layers of a paradox.

Wendy Smith speaks about two different strategies that we can use to deal with paradoxes. 1) Mule – Doing a combination of things in a way that they take care of multiple priorities. 2) Tightrope – Being