Moving beyond mere tolerance
Us-versus-them is the costly mind-set in which organizations, communities, and whole nations too often find themselves trapped. In fact, recognizing difference as a positive force can bring astonishing value to even the most diverse organizations.
In Us Plus Them, leadership scholar Todd Pittinsky introduces a groundbreaking new science of diversity that:
• Debunks the assumption that wherever there is difference there will be inherent tension and animosity
• Challenges the effectiveness of our standard attempts to fight prejudice and combat hate in our schools and workplaces, our civic and religious lives
• Reveals how we benefit from the mixing of different ethnic, racial, national, social, and religious groups in a globalized world
Through a wide range of examples-from Maine and Michigan to Rwanda and Bhutan, and from small-town classrooms to corporate boardrooms-Pittinsky opens our eyes to misunderstood yet useful aspects of us-and-them relations, i