Bowen Family Systems Theory #3

How did the role you played in your family shape who you became? How does it shape your leadership? How do the people in your organization express the role they learned in their families? We invite you to consider how your family helped you shape the self that you bring to your leadership as well as how these concepts show up in the organization that you lead. 

This is the third in a series of conversations about Bowen Family System Theory, a theory that has deeply influenced us and our book The Leader’s Journey.  In this episode, we cover a lot of ground as we look at two of the eight concepts of Bowen theory: the family projection process and the multigenerational transmission process.

Summary:

• Are you flying by the seat of your pants? How testing a unifying theory can integrate your leadership
• The impact of a family’s anxious focus
• Our roles shape our functioning and our leadership
• The magic of connecting across the generations
• A family diagram – a useful tool for families and organizations

Resources

• The Leader's Journey page
• Jim’s Facebook page
• Trisha’s Facebook page
• Mike’s Facebook page

As a guide to doing your own family of origin work, we highly recommend the book Becoming a Healthier Pastor by Ronald Richardson.

We also find value in A Family Genogram Workbook by Israel Galindo.

For basic information about BFST, we recommend these resources: 

• The 8 Concepts of Bowen Theory by Roberta Gilbert
• Extraordinary Relationships by Roberta Gilbert
• https://thebowencenter.org/theory/
• For a deep dive into Bowen theory in Bowen’s own words, try Family Therapy in Clinical Practice by Murray Bowen. 

To expand your application of Bowen theory, consider:

• A Diary of Everyday Growing Up (podcast and blog) by Jenny Brown
• A Failure of Nerve by Edwin Friedman