Instead of an organizational chart, there exists a gray area of power where there is no scheme, but rather private, familial, friendly, sexual, or interest-based relationships. Shadows can be found in many places within the organization, and the more aware the people in that organization are of their shadows, the more successful, productive, faster, and easier to manage the organization will be.
According to Carl Jung’s teachings, every person (and thus every organization) has its shadow. The shadow is the unconscious part of our identity that strongly defines us, but we are not aware of its existence. According to Jung, the larger the shadow, the more dangerous and powerful it is. Take, for example, a person who believes they are not strong enough. Everyone around that person sees that they have more than enough strength to oppress those around them and demonstrate their strength completely inappropriately. The belief ‘I am not strong enough’ is that person’s shadow. It defines their emotional state, constructs their thoughts, and subsequently their external behavior.
However, when you talk to that person, they will not be aware of that trait or may nod their head, but they will not change anything. And this is most likely not going to happen until that trait causes them some trouble, such as a dismissal, a marriage breakdown, or illness. Why? Because we all tend to change only when we get hit hard.
