Idea in Brief
The Concept
Early in life, family dynamics give rise to many fundamental behaviors and attitudes toward authority, mastery, and identity. When similar dynamics emerge at work, people often revert to childhood patterns.
The Insight
To enable change, psychologists often encourage clients to consider the nature of their original family system. This approach has been widely applied to behaviors in the personal realm but can—and should—be applied at work too.
The Way Forward
Six factors influence how family dynamics play out in the workplace. To achieve your greatest potential, you need to understand how those factors have helped make you who you are.
The theory goes like this: If you want to become a better leader, you have to seek out feedback and engage in self-reflection. Do that, and you’ll come to understand your strengths and weaknesses, which in turn will allow you to embark on a program of self-improvement.
