Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.
Ahmed, an Egyptian who recently migrated to the US, is a man raised in the backdrop of the Egypt-Israel conflict. Its socio-political tension has deeply informed his perspective of ‘enemies.’
“From my point of view, they are my enemy, but in reality, there is no enemy,” shared Ahmed. He realized much of his hostility was constructed from historical narratives rather than personal encounters. Through his interaction with Let’s See Labs, he continues embarking on a transformative journey to reassess those ingrained animosities. His engagement with Let’s See Labs, an organization committed to breaking entrenched narratives and challenging preconceived notions, has catalyzed this understanding. Interacting with the Let’s See Labs team has made him recognize how his own prejudices were limiting his progress in the professional sphere.
“In the crucible of interpersonal tension, creativity is born,” says Gareth Gwyn, the CEO of Let’s See Labs, a start-up on the cutting edge of leadership development. Gwyn’s organization operates on the assumption that it is precisely through navigating the turbulent waters of social pressures and division that truly transformative leadership skills are forged.
Navigating Polarities
“The idea here is to empower people to understand their worth beyond external conditions,” Gwyn elaborates. “When leaders own this sense of self, their ability to lead drastically transforms.” As the organization defines, creative polarity is an individual and teamwork approach that uses interpersonal tension to activate emergent innovative properties.
This leadership development model has been deployed in numerous workshops across different communities over the last two years, with remote workforces expressing particular appreciation for how it encourages intimacy and connection over distances.
Due to heightened polarization and challenging social pressures, leaders face unprecedented challenges. Let’s See Labs argues that anxiety, tension, and defensiveness can be effectively leveraged instead of being avoided. These supposed challenges can be transformed into fuel for increased empathy, engagement, and creativity.
An Emphasis on Trauma-Informed Leadership
Let’s See Labs’ approach resonates strongly with leaders who are attracted to new ideas, emotionally intelligent, and willing to take a risk in advancing their culture. It also embodies restorative and transformative justice principles, addressing the unresolved trauma that often underlies harmful behavior and tension within teams.
It offers a three-tiered approach to leadership development: talks, workshops, and programs, each designed to bring teams and cohorts of leaders through an interactive process that activates a human-centric dimension of leadership.
“We acknowledge trauma as both cataclysmic events as well as passive conformities that we often unconsciously adopt,” Gwyn adds. The programs Let’s See Labs provides strive to help leaders understand their own triggers and judgements and use them to build compassion and healthy boundaries.
Leaders foster an environment that encourages personal growth rather than expecting change from others by helping individuals recognize their inconsistent behaviors and providing tools that enable them to act according to their values. Leaders who personally embody their message or vision frequently inspire others instead of provoking defensiveness. This type of leadership invites individuals to join movements driven by empathy, affection, and ambition instead of societal pressure, guilt, or shame.
Looking Towards the Future
With a public program for 20 individual leaders in the pipeline, Let’s See Labs is certainly an organization to watch. They will also target business leaders aiming for happy and productive teams.
In Gareth Gwyn’s own words, “We hope for it to be clear that this includes taking risks in our self-growth and transformation, yet the possibilities are expansive for both society and business outcomes.” The intersection of personal development and broader societal impact makes Let’s See Labs an intriguing proposition in an increasingly polarized world.
Innovation often comes from a willingness to embrace discomfort outside comfort zones. If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, Let’s See Labs could serve up a feast.
