Monica, I enjoyed your post.  I also couldn't agree more with your comment about a community of like-minds.  It feels comfortable, yet in the broader scheme, I think that it's the kind of comfort zone we as leaders needs to be wary of.  Jonathan Haidt gives a wonderful TED talk on moral relativism.  I happen to be a liberal politically, so I watched the first part of the talk with a wry smile as he criticized the perceived closed mindedness of conservatives.  The longer I watched, the more I realized (as a liberal) I was being set up.  He proved pretty convincingly that liberals (me included) are not nearly as open-minded as we like to think we are.  It's a fair point, and as a leader, the ability to look for the value in arguments and in the good in people with whom we may not agree is essential to effective leadership and building trust over the long-term.  So I ask the question to you and others:  What do you all do to keep your mind open?  Really open?