The power of paradox
In 1964, John Coltrane walked into a studio with his quartet, driven by an unwavering spiritual vision. Over the course of a single day, they recorded what would become one of the most transcendent jazz albums of all time: A Love Supreme.
This wasn’t just another album. For Coltrane, it was a devotional act—a musical prayer of gratitude for what he described as a “spiritual awakening.” But A Love Supreme wasn’t just about faith. It was also an act of rebellion, a groundbreaking exploration of avant-garde jazz that defied convention.
Coltrane wasn’t content to live within one framework. He let his reverence for tradition and his hunger for innovation collide, creating music that was both deeply structured and wildly free. He balanced opposites: faith and experimentation, discipline and spontaneity, tradition and transformation.
Through Coltrane’s paradoxical approach, A Love Supreme transcended categories. It wasn’t just an album; it was a testament to the power of holding space for complexity.
The Power of Paradox
Coltrane’s genius offers a lesson that extends far beyond music: the world isn’t black and white. Two opposing ideas can coexist, each amplifying the other. This is the power of paradox—the art of embracing contradictions and finding harmony in their tension.
Physics calls this superposition, the principle that a particle can exist in two states simultaneously until observed. In life, paradoxes force us to confront the uncomfortable truth that reality is rarely binary. Growth happens when we stop seeing opposites as problems to solve and instead hold them together.
Embracing Paradox in Leadership and Life
What does this mean for us—those of us without a saxophone but still navigating the complexities of life?
You can be confident and still admit you don’t have all the answers.
You can lead with conviction and still listen with humility.
You can honor tradition while blazing a trail into the unknown.
Paradoxes aren’t obstacles to overcome; they are the tensions that spark creativity, growth, and wisdom.
So here’s a question: Where in your life are you forcing a false choice? What truths might emerge if you allowed two opposing ideas to coexist?
Coltrane’s A Love Supreme wasn’t the product of choosing one over the other. It was born in the space where opposites meet. And perhaps, that’s where your own transformation begins too.
