12

Developing Yourself

The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.

—Carl R. Rogers1

Chapter One started with the story of Ron, the COO of one of the world's best-known brand-name companies. He mistook paradoxical problems for puzzle-like ones, attempting to exercise complete control to the exclusion of regional managers. In the process, he missed the value of using collaborative tools, in particular stakeholder mapping. In this chapter, we highlight another lesson: To manage paradox in collaboration with others, you have to be able to manage yourself.

It's worth taking another look at Ron's story, emphasizing this personal-management angle. Ron was acerbic, highly intelligent, quick, and had a great track ...

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