Best Of The Aware Show With Jim Selman and Dr. Srini Pillay: Co-Creating in a Polarized World

Is it possible to have two strongly opposing points of view and still get along and work together? And if so, how can two sides, who are both committed to their own views, come to a conclusion?

Are you more committed to politics, for example, or are you more committed to your relationships? Today Lisa talks once again with executive coach Jim Selman and psychiatrist Dr. Srini Pillay. Together they invite us to create a new mind, so we can create a new world.

Jim Selman is an executive coach and talks about how leadership is a willingness to commit to a possibility before evidence is shown. Jim has worked within the corporate sector in management. He has learned to navigate opposing views and worked with both managers and those in unions. Neither party can be completely satisfied but they can work together. He talks about possibility thinking and its role in leadership.

Psychiatrist Dr. Srini Pillay talks about leadership and a willingness to acknowledge possibilities, even before there’s evidence. He talks about how the amygdala in the brain processes all emotions. Fear is at the forefront as we need to protect ourselves. Srini further discusses suffering and how it works in the brain. It can feel like we are being attacked, and we want people to understand it. The root of polarization is the difference between living in a state of suffering or living in a state of possibility.

How is it possible to get along with others who have completely opposite views? Unless you are willing to acknowledge and respect the legitimacy of the other, then no reconciliation is possible. We automatically assume that the other person is wrong, yet no conclusion can be proven true or false.

We must allow others to have judgements without reaction. It is not the truth, nor is it a falsehood. So how do we learn to live together in a way where each person can have their own opinions, yet we allow for respect of one another’s views? We don’t have to agree, and we can learn to create together. Most polarization gets stuck when people will not allow room for another person’s view.

Together they talk about consciousness, balance, and non-judgmental thinking. This leads to creative solutions.  There is a way to have a conversation and not get to an agreement but still allow for the possibility of co-creation. If you can do this in a polarized environment, you actually have more power and can create a common future.

This interview was part of a series originally taped in August of 2020, and we air this show in honor of Jim Selman who passed away recently. Jim was an executive coach and pioneer in the field of personal and organizational transformation. He is the author of numerous books including “Leadership” and “Living in a Real-Time World: 6 Capabilities to Prepare Us for an Unimaginable Future.” Info: jimselman.com and drsrinipillay.com.