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September: 

 

All Leadership Series Orientation (all groups will meet both days for this beginning of the year overview)

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                                        September 17 and 18, 1 to 4:30 pm (EDT)

                                       

                                        Presentations by and consultations with:

 

                                        Tony Wilgus, Dana Runestad, and Emlyn Ott

                              

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October: 

 

The Dance of Alone/Together/Alone:  Physical Distancing and Social Engagement Processes in an Era of Viral Realities

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November:

 

Going Tribal

 

In his book, The Human Swarm, Mark Moffitt (a protégé of E.O. Wilson) describes the ways in which humans and their larger societies predictably organize themselves into ‘us’ and ‘them.’  Ezra Klein addresses the political aspects of this process in American society in his work, Why We’re Polarized.  Clergy and organizational leaders are no strangers to this phenomenon as segments of society organize themselves into various identity groups that encompass gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, political and religious affiliations, and more.  Are there concepts articulated within Bowen theory that might lend some understanding of these instinctual human processes?  Perhaps.

 

 

January:  

 

Breathing Lessons 

 

“I can’t breathe” was the cry of George Floyd, Eric Garner, and untold others who have tragically died recently, including from Covid-19. What does the natural process of breathing have to teach us about the process of Differentiation of Self? Taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide is not a problem to be solved; rather it is a polarity to be managed. Could managing Differentiation of Self be a similar process? Could other polarizations also work this way? In this module we’ll explore Barry Johnson’s model of “Polarity Management” and how the “Polarity Map” can serve as a tool in the process of Bowen’s concept of Differentiation of Self. How might plotting out Differentiation of Self on a “Polarity Map” provide opportunity for a daily “examen” for marking mature functioning and incorporating spiritual practice in the process of differentiating a self? And how might developing capacity to manage polarization in self contribute toward managing polarization in the world?

 

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February: 

 

Hierarchy, Egalitarianism, and Differentiation

 

Throughout nature, social animals arrange themselves in dominance hierarchies.  In a family, members may defer to the matriarch or patriarch and a younger sibling may accommodate an elder sibling.  Churches, organizations, and communities seem to operate in similar fashion.  Knowing where one fits in this structure can reduce tension or, under certain conditions, exacerbate conflict.  Concomitantly, human societies can resist this disparate distribution of nature’s resources. How does Dr. Bowen’s concept of differentiation address these apparent differences? Is an alpha female ‘more differentiated’ than a gamma female? This examination may contribute to a broader view of the terms leader and leadership.

 

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March:  

 

The Power of Projection in the Dynamics of Blame

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April:

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Heresy, Orthodoxy, and Differentiation of Self  

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In anxious times, the tendency for the human herd is adherence to a common narrative, often blindly, and enactment of strictures and penalties for individual(s) who deviate from this norm.  Hence, orthodoxy and allegiance to the predominant view becomes virtuous and any departure and differing view becomes heresy.  Dr. Bowen described the counterbalancing forces of togetherness and individuality as a feature of our species and some of the consequence that emerge when the ‘group think’ prevails.  This presentation will examine these forces in the family, church, and society juxtaposed with the challenges of being a self in the multitude of relationships that resound with the refrain of ‘think like me, feel like me, and behave like me.’ 

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May:

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Planning is still underway for a national conference to be held on these dates which includes all of the 2020-21 Leadership Series participants.

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