Principle of Two Truths

Is it a six or a nine?

Is upside down or right side up?

It that the top side or the bottom side?

Is the lady older or younger?

The answer to all these questions is yes.

Depending on your perspective you might contend for one or the other, but yes is undoubtedly the right answer.

The effectiveness of our influence as leaders in these rapidly changing times is often how well we leverage the principle of two truths.

Two truths principle means the ability to hold two equal truths in tension without invalidating one or the other.

When we invalidate one truth to authenticate another it produces cultural gridlock.

Conversely, by validating both truths, we can better find solutions to solve problems.

Rather than using passion to make another truth false, harness that energy to discover a new path.

It’s the collaborative contribution of those from both “truths” that give us the innovative answers to the questions that challenge us.

The future belongs to the people, teams, and organizations that can navigate conflicting realities simultaneously.

So when the question is presented to you: “This truth or that truth?”

The answer to the question is yes.

Julian Newman