As we’ve seen throughout our discussion of Ronald Heifetz’s Leadership Without Easy Answers in the On The Balcony Podcast, authority is not always easy to maneuver. While it’s true that authority comes with an enormous set of resources for the practice of leadership, it also comes with constraints. This week’s guest is all too familiar with this reality.
Ian Palmquist, the Deputy Director at the Equality Federation and a Board President of the Adaptive Leadership Network advocates for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. After years of fighting for inclusive legislation and the Anti Bullying Act, Palmquist possesses a great deal of experience with authority roles, especially in satiating one side’s appetite for change and the other side's fear of it.
Heifetz refers to this dilemma as the razor’s edge, and authority figures are constantly at risk of cutting their feet. It’s extremely difficult to manage disparate expectations and goals.
That’s why, in Palmquist’s career it’s all the more important for him to maintain that precarious balance. He does so by acquainting himself with the tools, resources, and constraints that accompany authority. He remarks that he and the LBGTQ+ movement were at its height when they were willing to meet others where they were, go in with an open heart, and take them on a journey toward understanding and acceptance. In that way, he could move closer to mobilizing stakeholders and reach his goals.
Not only must Palmquist reckon with party lines and opposing elected officials, he must also work to meet the expectations of those in his own community. Navigating the fine line or the razor’s edge as an authority figure is not for the faint of heart. For people like Ian though, it is crucial in the fight for equality.