Mastering the Limitations of Polarities

In the closing session of The Cosmic Conference, Marilyn Zakhour is joined by Jose Santos, Affiliated Professor of Practice in Global Management at INSEAD, to explore the intricate art of managing polarities in leadership.

Jose challenges conventional wisdom, shedding light on the importance of distinguishing true polarities—those interdependent tensions that sustain systems—from false dichotomies or oversimplified trade-offs. Through rich examples, he delves into situations where polarity thinking fails, such as contexts demanding radical decisions or cases where the interplay of whole systems and their parts is misunderstood.

The conversation also addresses how leaders can integrate systemic and multilevel thinking into their strategies to avoid oversimplification and foster long-term resilience. Jose reflects on the global implications of polarity thinking, offering insights into governance, innovation, and managing cultural diversity in multinational enterprises.


Jose Santos is an Affiliated Professor of Practice in Global Management.
After spending 20 years in the managerial world, Joe moved from Italy to INSEAD and devoted himself to scholarly work, a dream from his youth.
Joe’s research and teaching focuses on the management of multinational enterprise, particularly on the management of global integration, and global innovation.