Leigh's Leadership Lessons: The Space In Between is NOT the Middle of Anything

The Space in Between isn’t about finding the middle — it’s about having the courage to stand in the tension between opposing views, where real growth and innovation happen. In a world that often pressures us to pick a side, this podcast explores what it means to stay present, curious, and open in the face of complexity. It’s a space that invites deep listening, humility, and the willingness to hold multiple truths at once. While it can be uncomfortable, it’s also where creativity thrives and where more humane, effective leadership is born. The goal is to create spaces — in life, work, and society — where nuance is welcomed and transformative ideas can take root.

Transcript

0:01

Hello and welcome to the. Space in between podcast. I'm your host Lee Morgan. Again, this podcast is for listeners who are fed up. Up with the hyperpolarized nature of the world today. And who crave. Craves spaces where current events can be discussed in construct. enlightening and delightful ways. Let's get.

Leigh Morgan: 0:30

Hello friends. Thanks for joining me today. I wanna take a few minutes to tell you a story, really the story behind the story of why I named this podcast, the Space in Between. Some folks hear that name and think this must be about taking stands in the middle. Or about finding a moderate position between two extremes, but I want to say gently, that's not quite it. The space that we're talking about isn't watering down things or splitting the difference. No. The space in between as a concept this podcast explores is something much deeper and more powerful. Let me explain. You see, we live in a world that loves the construct of either or of left or right, this or that, win or lose, conservative or liberal in favor of immigration or against it. You get the picture, I understand the appeal of either or thinking I especially understand it in a time of hyperpolarization, of massive uncertainty, of geopolitical tensions, of concerns about how am I gonna pay for my gas bills? And I certainly understand it when social media bombards us with blame and shame culture At these times, clarity can feel comforting. Certainty can help us feel safe, and in business, in politics, in personal life, we're often pushed to take a side, to put a stake in the ground, to declare loyalty on one side or another. I know this feeling myself. I feel this way when I think about my friend Jorge, or my mentees, who are here on asylum from Afghanistan, there is no way in hell that I will stand aside if due process on their immigration status is violated. I will put a stake in the ground. My friends, and be warned, I'm Scorpio, so don't mess with me. I bet you have a list of things that you will take a stand on or that you already have. That's a good thing. But here's the other thing. We live in complex times in order to be effective leaders to scale high performing organizations or just to create the change we wanna see in the world anywhere. We need to also step into the tension between a wide range of views and sometimes between extremes, and that is what the podcast is about. It's about standing in the space in between, which is really a liminal, emotional, heart-centered, and intellectual space all in one. We want to stand in this liminal space, not because it's easy, but because it's where the potential for deep, deep learning and transformation lives. It's where people are listening, not just reacting where we're asking questions, not just asserting answers. It's the place where we're brave enough to hold two things that seem to be in opposition and say maybe both are true in their own way. Or to say, maybe there's something here that I haven't seen yet, or that we haven't seen yet. Now, I'll tell you, being in that space does take courage. It can also be uncomfortable. It asks you to be open when you, might rather shut down. And I know that feeling myself, it asks us to get curious about what our ego is saying and what our ego wants to assert as what is right. It's a place of humility at its best, and it's also a place of possibility and incredible innovation. I think of it almost like standing on the edge of a canyon, one cliff on this side, another on the other side of the canyon. And if you just stay on one side or the other, you might feel grounded. Anyone who's been to the ground Canyon, you might think, I'm glad I'm grounded because it looks scary down there. But if you're only seeing one side looking into the canyon, you might miss another vista. You might miss an insight. Something looks different, but you're looking down at the same canyon. The magic happens when you find the courage to build a bridge, to try to get to the other side, to figure out what would it be like to look from another perspective. That's where new ideas are born and that's where innovation comes alive. I've worked in some amazing organizations where innovation has thrived. I'll give you one example. I was honored to work at Genentech, which is the first biotech company, the first that went big, and I remember showing up my first week there, and I was confused because. People were having incredible dialogues in meetings and there was a hop, a skip in the step people walking around campus. And I found that people were debating very candidly, sometimes vigorously on matters related to science or the organization but there's just this sense of what's your idea? It's really respectful to share a different perspective. Even as we scaled 50 new employees every Monday for three and a half years I. we created that culture where we wanted people to be in the space in between. And let me tell you, scientists care a lot about their research and so hard, stands were taken as well, but we knew that innovation thrived in that tension in that liminal space. And so on the one hand, this might be seen as a abstract concept, but it's really not I bet you have had some experiences at work where you have found the space in between to be very generative and innovative. Our task is to create more and more spaces like that, where high performing organizations thrive. It's also the space where humanity grows up a little. Agency and choice are required before stepping into and staying in that tension. Part of that agency is saying, no, not now. I'm gonna stay right here on the side of the canyon. I do that sometimes, especially when I have a strong view about something. I spoke about that, my first solo at Boiling Points. If you are near your boiling point, note to self, not the best time to step into that space. So. I try to hold that space on this podcast,. for myself, for my guests, and for you We bring in people who don't think the same way. That I do, and folks who come from very different walks of life. There's disagreement sometimes, and we do our best to stay in the conversation long enough to discover what might emerge So one other little fun fact, and it's not really a fact, it's more a reality. If we're honest with one another, it doesn't always tie up in a neat little bow. That's not the point. The point is to practice staying present in the tension to bear witness to the complexity. If there's nuance to say there's nuance, I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm staying there. And it's also an opportunity to practice softening the impulse to judge. This is really where humility plays an important role. When we do all these things, when we practice, when we make a commitment to both standing firm, but also being open we can create conditions where humanity thrives, where great ideas to really hard problems can be born, and where extraordinary possibilities can become reality. This is the practice that we're in. It's not easy. Sometimes the ideas that come out of the space in between, don't work. Or you need to revisit multiple times in order for them to take shape and form. So my friends, the space in between is not about the middle. Being in the middle is kind of like milquetoast to me. It's like white bread. It's easy to buy, it's cheap, and it really doesn't taste that well. And there's not a lot of nutrients or a lot of value. Now, I wanna say a few words about leadership the most powerful leaders I've known, the ones who inspire real trust. And who catalyze lasting change. Have one thing in common. They know how to hold the line and hold the space in between as well. So what do I mean by that? They don't rush to easy answers and, they don't get stuck in binary thinking. Agency is key here. Binary thinking can be helpful in many circumstances, but when we want to be creative, when we want to create deep and new connections, we need to expand beyond either or. The best leaders, they learn to live in the tension between many competing truths or versions of truths They're able to weather and address and react to short-term pressures while holding a long-term vision, and they create cultures where teams can do the same because the best leaders don't just lead by themselves. They create a capacity for everyone to lead. In that spirit, I invite you to join me each week to listen deeply, to reflect and maybe even to wrestle with, some of your own assumptions about the topics that. We discuss here. If we can do that individually, if we can do that in communities, if we can do that in our families, if we can do that in our workplace, and if we can do that a little more every day, I believe we can create a more humane and. Equitable society, organizations, companies, nonprofits, will be incredibly impactful and move into that high performing space, which is a space of generative thinking of innovation and staying in that beautiful tension called the space in between.

11:53

I hope you. Enjoyed this episode of the space in between podcast. If. If you did, please hit the like button and leave a review. Wherever you listen to the show. And check out the space. Space in between.com website, where you can also leave me a message.