On this sixth episode of the On the Balcony podcast, Michael is joined by Ian Palmquist, Deputy Director at the Equality Federation and the Board President of the Adaptive Leadership Network.  In his experience of advocating for LGBTQ+ rights with government officials, Palmquist has become familiar with authority and its resources and constraints for the practice of leadership.  When advocating and legislating meet, Ian has discovered that it can be challenging to satiate one side’s appetite for change while assuaging the other’s fear of it.  
In Heifetz’s work, he famously refers to this dilemma as the razor’s edge.  Managing disparate expectations and goals can feel like wearing a straitjacket or walking on the cliff’s side, and finding that balance can be an exacting pursuit.  Elected officials often have to play the political power game and frequently at the expense of real progress.  That’s why, in Palmquist’s career, it’s been all the more important for him to maintain that delicate balance.  He does so by acquainting himself with the specific tools and constraints that accompany authority, and journeying together with legislators to work toward mutual success. Navigating that fine line isn’t easy, but Ian fully understands that the fight for equay demands and deserves it - and he’s more than willing to ‘cut his feet’ in the battle to achieve this noble goal.
The Finer Details of this Episode: 
Authority as a straitjacket
When authority meets advocacy
Managing disparate expectations
Crossing boundaries
Political power game
Engagement
Challenges and successes of the LBGTQ+ movement

Quotes: 
“I'm also the Board President of Adaptive Leadership Network, which has been such a wonderful opportunity for me to bring some of the organization building skills that I have to work and support this global community of changemakers.”
“Wow, there's like a language to talk about all of these things that I've been grappling with and haven't known how to even speak about them, much less solve some of those problems.”
“This authority figure, you know, is trying to walk this very narrow, razor's edge–this balance beam to stay balanced.”
“People were looking at me to stop this, and I just didn't know how; it didn't seem possible.”
“I do think that the LGBTQ+ movement, when it's been kind of at its best, and at its most successful, is when we've been willing to meet people where they are, take them on a journey with us, and try to go in with as open hearts as possible.”
“It's really hard to find a way to engage with the folks who are really pushing this. It's hard to find a way to cross that boundary, when you know it's not a genuine difference of opinion or lack of understanding.  It's a really calculated attempt to gain power at the expense of others.”
“So there's always this interplay between elected officials and the hearts and minds in the community that they have to navigate.”
“To stay balanced on the edge, one needs a strategic understanding of the specific tools and constraints that come with one's authority. Yet, in either case, an authority figure cuts his feet.”


Links: 
On the Balcony on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-balcony/id1627073051 ( https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast)
Leadership Without Easy Answers on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Without-Answers-Ronald-Heifetz/dp/0674518586 ( )https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Without-Answers (https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Without-Answers)
Equality Federation: https://www.equalityfederation.org/ (https://www.equalityfederation.org/) 
Adaptive Leadership Network:  https://adaptive-leadership.net/ (https://adaptive-leadership.net/)
Mentioned in this episode:
KONU Workshop Ad
https://on-the-balcony.captivate.fm/shorturl-at-lqtw9 (KONU Workshop Ad)