Getting to “Us”

Humans are social creatures; we fall readily into group loyalties. We instinctively divide the world into “us” and “them” and treat others very differently according to which category they’re in. Activating us-versus-them energy is the oldest leadership tool in the box. In business settings, the effects can be wonderful. But they can also be terrible, giving rise to warring factions internally and cutting off collaborative possibilities externally. It’s surprising how many business managers are not very thoughtful about wielding this tool.