The Intentional Growth Leader · Issue 4 · 21 July 2026

The Poleng Principle

Why success needs failure, and what I learned from the Balinese about leadership.

A Balinese temple guardian statue wrapped in poleng, the black-and-white chequered cloth, tied with a red sash, with woven palm offerings beside it and a gold yin-yang mark alongside the issue title.

During my time in Bali, there was one symbol I couldn’t stop noticing.

Every day I’d see the same black-and-white chequered cloth wrapped around ancient banyan trees, draped over temple statues, surrounding shrines and even worn during ceremonies. It seemed to appear wherever I went.

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