Shadow in Leadership and Organizations

By: Matt Auron

Shadow—as described originally by psychologist Carl Jung—is the subconscious parts of ourselves that we hide, repress, and deny. It is one of the most important concepts in leadership development as well as for creating optimal organizational culture and performance.

Shadows are split-off parts of a greater whole, living in exile because they aren't as nice to look at or acceptable. Many times they are diametrically opposite of who we say we are. They emerge in persistent behavioral patterns that cause havoc and pain. The behavioral pattern is a pathway back to a belief system that has been repressed and lives “in the shadows”. The shadow is not bad, in fact, it contains power and life itself. It is counterintuitive to much of the strengths-based view of the world or the goals-based optimization culture of business. It exists like an anchor, limiting potential and when brought to the surface and integrated, provides an authentic and powerful whole that is compelling and powerful.

Many shadows are exiled in early life, where we learned to repress something or honor a limiting belief to adapt to harsh conditions. This happens as well in the founding of companies, with a long tail of a shadow that manifests in the culture over many years. Shadow exists at both the individual and collective levels. We can certainly see them present in society at large.

While shadow manifests itself in each of us differently, it can still be damaging. For instance, a shadow of “I’m not good enough” could cause a leader to look for external validation through ostentatious shows of success when research has shown that employees are most drawn to leaders with quiet confidence and humility. If someone is stuck in shadow, it’s impossible for them to be a fully-conscious being and their actions follow suit. As a result, an otherwise conscious person acts incongruently and is in danger of losing the trust of key stakeholders. The irony is if this leader owned their shadow, they might present in a powerful, humble, and vulnerable way that engages people at an even deeper level.

Like people, organizations also have a shadow, and in a typical corporate structure, there is no place for shadow to be discussed or held. This is a contributing reason why companies are not able to act in alignment with their values. It isn’t just because of one or two bad apples. It’s often a cultural problem, a shared way of being that individuals plug up into like the matrix. While the company may have many positive cultural elements, it also has a shadow that can undercut those positive forces and create a toxic environment for employees. So it is critical for a company’s success over the long-term to be equally aware of shadow as they are of more positive aspects, such as values, purpose, mission, and the like.

We all have a shadow and there is no quick fix. Rather, what is required to keep it in check is an ongoing process of introspection, accountability, openness to being flawed, and a desire to improve (or evolve). Owning our shadow leads to power and potential. When we bring the shadow to the forefront we get power and agency, and more importantly, we are able to consciously use it versus shadow using us.

At Evolution, we welcome any and all respectful feedback and process that helps us to regain awareness of our shadow in action and increase our consciousness. The key for us—and our invitation to you—is an openness to feedback, a desire to learn, and a recognition of our shadow so we know what to watch out for and therefore what changes we should make to limit the likelihood that shadow will appear.