How can we achieve BOTH?
—But sir, you have to choose: either we meet our revenue targets OR we implement the sustainability initiative.
A Fortune 500 CEO recently shared this conversation with me, visibly frustrated that his management team kept presenting him with false dilemmas like: profit or purpose, results or relationships, efficiency or well-being.
This type of thinking is more common than it seems. In my work as a leadership consultant and coach, I guide executives and management teams through transformation processes where, often, the first thing to challenge is not resources or technical capabilities, but rather the way they structure their decisions. The "either/or" logic limits creativity, fragments strategy, and erodes commitment. After years of observing and supporting leaders seeking to evolve their impact, I've found that this binary mindset is one of the biggest obstacles to strategic and sustainable leadership. Because it forces us to think about sacrifices, when what's really needed is to think about integration.
The most impactful leaders I've met operate from a different perspective. One that isn't about choosing between purpose and profitability, or sacrificing people's well-being to achieve results. It's about articulating solutions in which supposedly opposing ideas become strategic partners, complementary sources of value.
I told this CEO about a client who faced a very similar dilemma. Her team presented her with two paths: cut costs or invest in innovation. Instead of getting caught up in that tension, she paused and rephrased the question: "How could we reduce costs through innovation?" 💡
That small shift in focus opened up a whole new conversation. One that yielded fresh, collaborative ideas aligned with a long-term vision. The result was a plan that achieved both goals and also reinforced the team's sense of purpose.
The most powerful question a leader can ask when faced with a dilemma is not "Which do we choose?" but rather, "How can we achieve BOTH?"
Because true leadership transformation doesn't come from choosing between two extremes. It happens when we develop the ability to sustain paradoxes, to look at the entire system, and to create points of integration where we previously saw only polarities.
As a coach and advisor, I've seen that this shift in mindset impacts not only results, but also culture, team energy, and connection to the mission. Because when we stop choosing between the short and long term, between growth and care, between economic success and humanity, we begin to lead from a deeper and more complete place.
So, I leave you with this reflection: What false dilemma are you facing in your leadership today? And how might you reframe it as an opportunity to integrate, rather than choose?
