In 1994, I stood in a counting station in KwaZulu-Natal during South Africa’s first democratic election.

I was only 24 years old, but I had been appointed as a Special Advisor to the Independent Electoral Commission. My task was immense: to help oversee the count in a region that had been torn apart by violence and deep-seated political rivalry.

The air inside the counting station was thick with mistrust with police and rival parties facing off, and the counting officer having just walked out. The conventional wisdom was that for one group to win, the other had to lose. Everyone was braced for conflict.

KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Photo: Siyabonga Blessing Phakathi

But the explosion of violence I feared didn't happen.

Instead, I watched people transcend their fear to achieve something extraordinary. I saw political rivals working in shifts around the clock, united by a shared goal. I saw the "me or them" mindset dissolve into a collective effort to build a new future.

That experience planted a seed that has grown over the last 30 years of my career.

Today, working in climate finance and organisational growth, I see that same zero-sum thinking in boardrooms and on the international arena. I see leaders stuck in the trap of competing agendas, believing that conflict is the only reality.

I am writing this book, "The Zero-Sum Illusion," because I know there is a better way.

We can stop conflict from winning, but it requires a specific set of tools.

I’d love your input on this: In your own work, do you feel that conflict is increasing? Do you see that "me or them" mindset playing out in your industry?

Hit reply and let me know. I’m reading every response to help me fine-tune the final manuscript before its release next year.

P.S. I’d love to speak to you. I'm currently scheduling short (15-minute) conversations with professionals to test these concepts against reality. If you’d be open to sharing your perspective over a virtual coffee this week, please just reply "Chat" and we’ll set it up.

Best wishes, Grant

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