Leadership Beyond the Individual: Relation in the Space Between Us | Jim Ferrell

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Sep 16, 2025

In this engaging discussion, leadership consultant Jim Ferrell reveals that true leadership resides in the connections between us, rather than just within individuals. He introduces the intriguing concept of relation versus relationships and outlines his four laws of relation. Jim explains how an individualistic approach can hinder progress and emphasizes the importance of embracing differences for meaningful integration. With practical insights, he shares how leaders can shift their focus to the 'between' for transformative change.

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INSIGHT

Relation Is The Real Locus Of Life

Martin Buber pushed Jim Ferrell to see that the real action is not inside individuals but in the space between them.
Relation is an ontological reality we usually miss because it's the background we swim in.

INSIGHT

Everything Observed Is Relational

Everything we perceive or do is inherently relational because no move stands alone.
Jim Ferrell's first law: all observation and action arise within relation, not isolation.

INSIGHT

Identity Emerges From Interaction

How we interact shapes who we become because context changes behavior and identity.
Buber's idea: there is no separate I, only 'I in relation' across contexts.

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One line in Martin Buber’s I and Thou stopped Jim Ferrell in his tracks. It made him realize that leadership isn’t inside the individual — it lives in the space between us. That insight became his new book, You and We: A Relational Rethinking of Work, Life, and Leadership. In it, Jim argues that progress doesn’t come from sameness, but from uniting across difference. In this episode, Jim and Dart discuss the four laws of relation, why relation is not the same as relationships, and how leaders can shift attention from individuals to the “between.”

Jim Ferrell is a leadership consultant, founder of Withiii Leadership, and bestselling author of several leadership classics. He has spent nearly 30 years working with leaders and organizations around the world.

In this episode, Dart and Jim discuss:
- Relation vs. relationships
- The four laws of relation
- Why progress depends on difference
- How individualistic leadership fails
- What happens when we ignore the “between”
- Levels of relation: division to compounding
- Practices that move leaders toward integration
- How relation reshapes how we see ourselves and others
- And other topics…

Jim Ferrell is the founder of Withiii Leadership and author of You and We: A Relational Rethinking of Work, Life, and Leadership. Prior to Withiii, he co-founded and led the Arbinger Institute, where he authored international bestsellers including Leadership and Self-Deception and The Anatomy of Peace. His work on leadership, culture change, and conflict resolution has shaped organizations from Apple, Google, and Nike to the White House and U.S. Treasury. A graduate of Yale Law School, Jim has also served as an adjunct professor on law and leadership at Brigham Young University. He is recognized as one of the most influential voices in relational leadership and organizational change.

Resources Mentioned:
You and We: A Relational Rethinking of Work, Life, and Leadership, by Jim Ferrell: https://www.amazon.com/You-We-Relational-Rethinking-Leadership/dp/1637747330
I and Thou, by Martin Buber: https://www.amazon.com/I-Thou-Martin-Buber/dp/1578989973
Withiii Leadership: https://www.withiii.com/
Get discounted tickets to the Responsive Conference, featuring past Work for Humans guests Bree Groff and Simone Stolzoff – September 17–18, Oakland, CA. Use code “11fold”: https://www.responsiveconference.com/tickets
Register to attend the UWEBC Conference, where Dart keynotes the HR track alongside Ethan Mollick and Nancy Giordano – September 30, University of Wisconsin: https://uwebc.wisc.edu/conference/registration/

Connect with Jim:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslferrell/

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.