Back to basics: The Triangle 7

We continue the series on basic concepts in Bowen Family Systems Theory (BFST). Today’s question: Does “thinking triangles” make leadership easier?

I think I’ve given up searching for anything that makes leadership “easier.” By its nature leadership is complex, difficult, and consists of dealing with problems or creating them.

But yes, understanding the dynamics behind triangles can help a leader function better. By understanding triangles I mean, gaining the skill of discerning when you are in one, and identifying what kind of triangle you are in. It means understanding your own tendencies in functioning when you are triangles.

Do you tend to create triangles when you are anxious? Is your tendency to act and react, before thinking, when a triangle forms? Do you have patterns of overfunctioning that tend to get you hooked into triangles? Is your tendency to be seduced into triangles? Do you have overfunctioning tendencies that get you stuck in triangles?

I think understanding ourselves better, and working on our functioning, helps us manage ourselves in triangles better.

From, Perspectives on Congregational Leadership: Applying Systems Theory for Effective Leadership, by Israel Galindo. See the new Perspectives on Congregational Leadership blog site.