Hello! My name is Cliff Kayser, MSOD/MSHR, PCC. I grew up in Wheaton, Illinois, and have been a resident of Washington, D.C. since 1987. When I’m not supporting the Institute, I work as Vice President, Mastery and Coaching Programs, at Polarity Partnerships.

My role with the Institute is multi-faceted – I am the CEO, a Senior Fellow, and a Founding Board Member. I see myself serving as both a liaison and integrator, working through a broad and diverse network of people who are avid in their support of advancing healthy, sustainable, and just democratic systems locally, nationally, and globally.

I suspect many will find the value the Institute provides to be a breath of fresh air for our political environment now and in the future.

“Or” thinking without “And” thinking is a direct threat to democratic principles and a root cause of political polarization. By advancing a unifying theory of democracy with powerful practice application tools, the Institute can support creating more healthy, sustainable, and just democratic systems. The current levels of frustration, polarization and resistance can all be used as a resource for continuity and transformation of democratic principles.

I believe in the Polarities of Democracy model.

Prior to the Institute, the impact of my polarity-focused work was with leadership coaching and team/organization development. Bill Benet’s (check out his bio above) Polarities of Democracy model provides an opportunity for me to expand the suite of polarity thinking practices and tools to larger arenas — communities, nations, and the community of nations.

A unifying definition for democracy is an urgent need, made easier to implement though well-honed practice tools.

I have been involved with the polarity thinking community since 2006 and a Polarity Partnerships owner/partner since 2012. I will lead operational activities and support Fellows to learn how to use PACT™ processes, the Polarity Map® and Polarity Assessment™ — the most robust suite of practices and tools available that I know of to attain healthy, sustainable, and just democratic systems. While I envision providing this support initially to doctoral and post-doctoral fellows, I also see a broad set of education options including through national and globally public education. Additionally, application options can expand on work done in Charleston, SC to improve the relationships between police and communities. The best-case scenario would be to support the advancement of our democracy in the United States while supporting new and emerging democracies all over the world.

Join me, as I roll up my sleeves, to help the Institute build a solid foundation for the future.

Three primary areas of focus are:

1. Supporting our Fellows to learn and apply polarity processes and tools to help them advance the Polarities of Democracy theory;
2. Raising funds needed to support our Fellows programming and advance the broader and longer-term work of the Institute; and
3. Solidifying the short-term tactical and strategic long-term strategy by tapping into the rich wisdom of our leadership, fellows, and our learning community.