Beyond Polarization: Leading from Unity, Intuition & Awareness

True leadership doesn’t choose sides. It listens to the silence in between, and leads from what connects us.

The world has never been more connected, yet often feels more divided.

Scroll through the news. Step into a leadership meeting. Watch two sides of a debate unfold. It’s not just disagreement anymore, it’s disconnection.

Polarization has become a default mode.

And leaders are not just watching it happen.

They are expected to navigate through it, lead above it, and somehow… rise beyond it.

But how?

What if the answer isn’t in more talking, more strategies, or more positions?

What if the answer lies in the silent intelligence that nature has mastered?

What if unity isn’t something we “build,” but something we remember?

WHAT ANIMALS CAN TEACH US ABOUT FLOW

In nature, there is no polarization.

A flock of birds doesn’t split into factions mid-flight.

A herd of horses doesn’t vote on who leads.

A school of fish doesn’t argue about direction.

They move in flow connected by something deeper than opinion: instinct, resonance, intuition.

Their harmony isn’t built through endless discussion.

It’s attunement.

We see this in high-performing teams too. Those moments where words aren't needed, decisions are swift, and connection feels electric.

This isn’t just efficiency.

It’s coherence.

SO, WHY DO HUMANS POLARIZE?

Unlike animals, humans have opinions, egos, and identities.

We attach.

We defend.

We take things personally.

Polarization happens when:

Opinion becomes identity.

Disagreement becomes threat.

Listening becomes waiting for your turn to speak.

It’s not disagreement that fractures teams.

It’s disconnection.

And disconnection is a function of fear (reactive mindset / triggered state), not awareness (creative state / explorative mindset ).

INTUITION VS. AWARENESS - OR ARE THEY PARTNERS?

There’s a common misconception that intuition is vague or emotional. But actually, intuition is a refined, embodied awareness, an internal sensing that cuts through noise.

Awareness = the expanded consciousness that allows us to observe without reacting.

Intuition = the quiet signal that guides us within that space.

Think of awareness as the sky.

And intuition as the wind moving through it.

Great leaders don’t choose between the two.

They practice both.

They learn to pause. Feel. Sense.

And only then… respond.

BARRETT’S VALUES MODEL LEVEL 7: UNITY AS THE ANTIDOTE

At Level 7 in the Barrett Model, we encounter Service and Unity Consciousness.

This isn’t idealism. It’s integration.

At this level:

Polarities are not problems to fix, but tensions to honor.

Opposites are not threats, but different expressions of the same truth.

Leadership is not about being right, but about stewarding what’s needed.

From this place, a leader moves beyond “sides” and sees systems.

Instead of:

“Who’s right?”

They ask:

“What wants to emerge from the whole?”

FROM REACTIVE TO CREATIVE MINDSET

The reactive mindset, a concept developed by Bob Anderson as part of the Leadership Circle Profile framework, feeds polarization*:

Control

Protect

Comply

It creates silos and safe zones, but stifles innovation and flow.

The creative mindset moves differently:

Purpose-driven

Self-aware

Systemically intelligent

A creative leader doesn’t need certainty to act.

They need clarity.

And clarity comes from stillness.

PRACTICAL SHIFTS FOR LEADERS IN POLARIZING TIMES

If you want to lead from unity, not division:

Pause before reacting. Breathe. Sense. Feel.

Ask what the polarity is pointing toward. What tension wants to be integrated?

Return to the system. Look beyond the individual conflict.

Don’t confuse noise for truth. Often, the loudest view is not the wisest.

Practice presence. In every meeting, be the one who listens without armor.

FINAL REFLECTION: FLOW IS A LEADERSHIP PRACTICE

We often say “go with the flow” as if it’s passive.

But in leadership, flow is active.

It’s a choice to stay open when others shut down.

To stay sensing when others seek control.

To trust when others cling to fear.

Nature doesn’t polarize.

It dances in harmony with all its contradictions.

So maybe leadership isn’t about “fixing” polarization at all.

Maybe it’s about rising above it;

With awareness as your compass,

Intuition as your rhythm,

And unity as your guiding force.

*) In the Leadership Circle Profile, the reactive mindset refers to a leadership orientation driven by underlying fears and the need for approval,

control, or protection, leading to habitual, defensive patterns that limit creativity, adaptability, and authentic connection

©2025 Kinsey Hartwell – www.unscripted-leadership.org