Organizations with strong, powerful, and productive output are frequently described as “well-oiled machines.” But how is this positive? Employees aren’t cogs in a machine, monotonously clocking in and out with a thousand-yard-stare. And on top of that, leaders aren’t simply pulling the levers, cackling, hunched over their desks, blinded by greed, like a suited supervillain. While there are certainly seeds of truth in these stereotypes (e.g., look at the response of the entertainment industry studio heads like David Zaslav and Bob Iger in the recent industry strikes), for any business that actually wants to be both respected and successful, this isn’t a helpful comparison. This is where the differentiated leader comes in.

Our company founder, Dr. Rick Johnson, conducted research as a university Professor on differentiation and the variables associated with personal and professional competence and effective leadership. In short, it’s what I like to call the anti-Zaslav, (note to editor: the differentiated leader would support the employees' wishes to express herself through respectfully clowning on David Zaslav).

Rick’s research has indicated that there are four factors that make differentiated leaders:

Personal Power: humble confidence

Personal Integrity: values-based discernment and clarity

Low Levels of Emotional Reactivity: balance of thinking & feeling

Healthy Interpersonal Boundaries: being attuned with others without losing connection to their Wise Self.

RJCG Consultants can help leaders of all levels to increase their embodiment of these characteristics, internally and relationally, leading to much better outcomes in their professional lives. We promise our training will decrease your likelihood of being booed while giving a commencement speech! In particular, well-differentiated leaders are much less likely to engage in problematic reactive behavior in response to interpersonal stress and conflict. You know, like threatening to halt negotiations until entertainment workers start losing their homes! I’m just spit-balling here! We can help create leaders who are much more likely to trust their abilities, discern the best course of action with integrity, be emotionally steady, and have healthy boundaries. Give us a call, David!