It’s election season in the U.S., and the tone of many campaigns feels divisive, blame-and-shame oriented and caustic. But the words we choose matter far beyond politics. In this popular episode, first released in 2025, host Leigh Morgan explores how all-or-nothing phrases, black-and-white thinking, emotional reactivity and leadership choices are interdependent -- and what we can all do to use language that expands possibility, strengthens relationships, and allows us to hold firm convictions without fueling division.

It turns out that our words don’t simply communicate what we think. They can actually 'physiologically' shape how we feel, respond, and whether a conversation promotes connection or, shuts it down. Leigh shares research, a personal story about confronting her own binary thinking, and practical ways to create more room for curiosity, innovation, and agency - the belief that our choices and actions matter even in polarized times.

What the Research Tells Us

• All-or-nothing thinking is a cognitive distortion that reduces complex situations to stark categories: good or bad, success or failure, right or wrong.
• Rigid language can amplify emotional reactivity. Words like always, never, completely, and hopeless can intensify the emotions we are already experiencing.
• Certainty can feel reassuring when we are anxious or unsettled, which helps explain why simplistic narratives and sweeping claims can be so compelling.
• Political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt describe binary rhetoric, scapegoating, and negative stereotypes as tactics used by authoritarian leaders to turn complex problems into simplistic stories about who is to blame.
• Naming emotions as precisely as possible - a practice known as affect labeling - can reduce emotional reactivity. “I feel overwhelmed” creates a different internal response than “I’m freaking out.”

Two Simple Practices

1. Notice and Pause: Listen for words such as always, never, everyone, no one, completely, and hopeless—in your own language and in what you hear from others.

2. Use Fit-for-Purpose Words: Experiment with language that leaves more room for the nuance of most situations: often, sometimes, I wonder if, from my perspective, or here’s what I’m seeing.

The words we choose can become a bridge or a barrier. Especially when trust is low and uncertainty feels overwhelming -- choosing language with greater intention is a small and meaningful way to cultivate better conversations, stronger teams, and healthier communities.

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Watch Leigh's YouTube video about the practices: https://youtu.be/3ImQ7e6ep5s

Detailed episode notes: http://spaceinbetweenpodcast.com/watch-your-language-lessons/

Check out Leigh's leadership insights on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leigh-morgan-speaks

Learn about her advisory services: www.imaginal-leadership.com

Get her newsletter here: https://imaginal-leadership-strategies.beehiiv.com/

What if some of the courage we need most right now isn't about standing our ground -- but knowing when to negotiate, admit we're wrong, or put the common good ahead of our own side? In a polarized culture that often rewards strident loyalty to our group and political self-protection, those choices can carry a real cost. So, what does courage actually look like—and do we have enough of it?

In this episode of The Space In Between, host Leigh Morgan talks with Marine Corps veteran and New York Times bestselling author Rye Barcott, about what courage looks like inside one of the hardest environments to practice it: the highest echelons of elected office. In his new book, Courage Can Save US, Rye examines the experiences of five elected officials – five Democrats and five Republicans - to understand what enables people to take principled risks when political and personal cost are all too real.

Rye offers a refreshing and tender perspective on what he’s learned about the nature of courage itself, and how to transcend the vexing incentives that elected leaders face – even when they aspire to do the right thing.

Follow Leigh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leigh-morgan-speaks

Detailed Show Notes: http://spaceinbetweenpodcast.com/can-courage-can-save-us/

Rye's website & book: https://couragecansaveus.com/

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Artificial intelligence is advancing at dizzying speed. But the hardest questions about AI may not be technical at all. Who should decide what responsible AI looks like? Can we create meaningful AI regulation without stifling innovation? And at a moment of deep distrust in both government and Big Tech, how do leaders build the coalitions needed to move forward?

In this episode of The Space In Between, Leigh Morgan sits down with Ambassador Karen Kornbluh, Senior Advisor for Emerging Technologies at the Milken Institute, to make sense of the fault lines shaping AI policy, governance, innovation, and leadership. Their conversation moves beyond the familiar choice between “let technology run” and “regulate it before it harms us.” Instead, they explore a more demanding space in between: how thoughtful guardrails, public accountability, human agency, and innovation can coexist—and what leaders can do right now rather than waiting for perfect answers.

In This Episode

Karen and Leigh unpack a central tension of the AI era: we need innovation, but we also need institutions capable of protecting the public interest and earning trust. Rather than treating AI as one enormous problem, Karen argues for breaking the challenge into specific, understandable issues—from data rights and accountability to the local impact of data centers—where people can see the stakes and exercise agency.

Their conversation also challenges the assumption that guardrails automatically suppress innovation. Thoughtful rules can shape incentives, clarify responsibility, and help leaders address risk before a crisis forces the issue.

Practices for Leading in AI Times

· Demand more. Ask whether technology, government, and your vendors are actually serving people, organizations, families, and communities.

· Make it tangible. Choose one concrete AI issue rather than trying to solve “AI” as a whole. Look for a decision, cost, risk, or policy you can actually influence.

· Meet people where they are. Use language and forums that make sense to the people you serve—not just to experts inside your institution.

· Find your agency. Pay attention to local and organizational decisions, including data-center impacts, data use, reporting, and accountability, where your voice can affect what happens next.

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Check out the Space In Between website for more detailed show notes: http://spaceinbetweenpodcast.com/leading-across-ai-fault-lines/

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