eBridge - June 2008

Article: Organizational Shadow: The Place of Transformation
By Katherine Tyler Scott

Most of the literature on shadow is focused on individual psychological development. There are few books and articles addressing this phenomenon in organizational life. From our research and experience, we believe that shadow is an element of organizational culture that leaders ignore at their own peril. This article is an invitation to our readers to join us in a conversation that can enlighten our understanding and practice of leadership development and organizational transformation.

The Formation of Shadow in Individuals

According to Carl Jung, the Swiss Psychiatrist, shadow is that aspect of one's psyche that is created through the process of human development and socialization. We are born as unconscious undifferentiated creatures lacking any sense of identity separate from our caregivers.

Read the complete article to find out more about organizational shadow and its formation.

2008 Open Enrollment Programs

Trainings Date Location Fee

Leading Change for Transformational Results
A training workshop for experienced organizational development consultants
September
25 & 26
Boston,
MA
$3,000
Limited Registration
*Workbook and Toolkit included

Registration: Register online or call 317-822-8205

Quotable Quotes

"Dealing with the shadow demands the ability to deal with paradox: Shadow must be loved and changed. It is intolerable and it is in us."
- Gregg Levoy

"It does not do you good to leave a dragon out of your calculations if you live near him."
- J.R.R. Tolkien

"To honor and accept one's own shadow is a profound spiritual discipline. It is whole-making and thus holy and one of the most important experiences of a lifetime."
- Robert Johnson

Article: Five Examples of Organizational Shadow
Adapted from: Palmer, Parker J. Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, 2000. © 2003.

Here are five aspects of shadow identified by Parker J. Palmer that often lie at the root of organizational conflict. Take a moment to consider your organization, and assess if any of the following examples might be reflected in your culture. Below each example is a tip on how focusing on the leader's Inner Work can help bring about new awareness.

1. Insecurity about one's own identity and self-worth.

The leader's identity becomes attached to external institutional functions so that the leader falls apart when their function is taken away.
Thus the leader often creates institutional settings that deny others their own reality.

Inner Work Awareness:
Understanding that who I am doesn't depend on what I do.

Read the complete article to find out about the next four aspects of shadow.

Upcoming Speaking Events

Events Consultant Date Location

Harvard Principal's Center
Leadership, an Evolving Vision

Irma Tyler-Wood July 17 Cambridge, MA

Network of Women in Business
Adaptive Leadership

Katherine Tyler Scott July 17 Indianapolis, IN

Harvard Principal's Center
Overview of the Art of Leadership

Irma Tyler-Wood July 21 Cambridge, MA

AAMSE
A House Divided - What Happened to Collegiality?

Irma Tyler-Wood July 25 Minneapolis, MN

The John P. Ellbogen Leadership and Advocacy Institute

Joanna Murray August 7 Laramie, WY

ILA Global Conference

Katherine Tyler Scott, Irma Tyler-Wood, Joanna M. Murray November
12-15
Los Angeles, CA

MA Conference for Women
Irma Tyler-Wood December 11
Boston, MA

Suggested Readings

Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the dark side of the psyche.
- Robert A. Johnson, Harper Collins, 1991

A Little Book on the Human Shadow.
- Robert Bly, Harper Collins, 1988

Organizational Culture and Leadership.
- Edgar H. Schein, Jossey-Bass, 2004

Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation.
- Parker J. Palmer, Jossey Bass, 2000

Here's What You Will Find in the Next Issue of eBridge

The next issue of E-Bridge will focus on advanced negotiation processes and strategies. Ki ThoughtBridge partner, Irma Tyler-Wood, will present an overview of the ICON - 4D process for design and preparation of your most significant negotiations.

Join us for key tips on how to maximize your negotiation success.

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