Shadow

The parts of ourselves we hide, repress, and deny can keep us from being the best versions of ourselves. The same is true for companies.

While progressive management thinkers for the past half-century have recognized the importance of a leader’s values, purpose, and consciousness, there has been little discussion or focus on the aspect of the leader known as shadow. Shadow—as described originally by the psychologist Carl Jung—is the subconscious parts of ourselves that we hide, repress, and deny.

If shadow is not in check, it is not possible for a leader to act in alignment with her values. She may have purpose in vision, but not in action.

Shadow is extremely tricky; there is no quick fix. Rather, what is required to keep it in check is an ongoing process of introspection, support accountability, an openness to being flawed, and a desire to improve (or evolve). In a typical corporate structure, there is no place for shadow to be discussed or held, especially for a CEO—until and unless the person acts out in a severely damaging way. 

For most people, shadow isn’t as tragic, but it is still damaging. For instance, a shadow of “I’m not good enough” could cause a leader to look for external validation through ostentatious shows of success when research has shown that employees are most drawn to leaders with quiet confidence and humility. 

Shadow also gets in the way of consciousness. If someone is stuck in shadow, it is impossible for them to be a fully-conscious being and their actions follow suit. As a result, an otherwise conscious person acts incongruently and is in danger of losing trust from key stakeholders. I saw this with colleagues in a former company who claimed “unconsciousness” when pressed for why they had made what I thought was a questionable business decision, and then proceeded without making a change, or seemingly even considering one. It was their shadow of narcissism or overconfidence in action.

We all have a shadow. The key is to know it well and keep a light focused in its direction so it can’t gather energy and cause you to act out. 

Like people, organizations also have a shadow. This is a contributing reason why companies are not able to act in alignment with their values. It isn’t just because of one or two bad apples. It is often a cultural problem. While the company may have many positive cultural elements, it also has a shadow that can undercut those positive forces and create a toxic environment for employees or a fast and loose sales culture.

There is one company that we all know—a famous maker of shoes that built its brand around a philanthropic model of giving away a pair of shoes for every pair it sells. It is logical that you’d think this company has a lot of heart and therefore the culture is warm and loving. As it turns out, some employees were shocked to find the workplace to be the opposite, complete with backstabbing and rampant negativity. How could this come to be?

The answer is shadow. It isn’t just one person’s shadow—though there is a strong likelihood the company’s leader or other influential people act in this way—it is ingrained in the culture. Another company I worked with—a large software company—had a similar culture. For them, it was not so surprising since there is nothing warm and loving about their brand. Yet, if you asked the company’s leaders to describe the company’s values, being brutal and cutthroat would not make the list between “integrity” and “accountability.”

So it is critical for a company’s success over the long-term to be equally aware of shadow as they are of more positive aspects, such as values, purpose, mission, and the like. Whole Foods CEO John Mackey and his co-author, Professor Raj Sisodia, did not address this in their book, “Conscious Capitalism” and it is not surprising to me to find examples of shadow showing up in the book, at Whole Foods, and even in the Conscious Capitalism Institute.

At Evolution, we welcome any and all respectful feedback that helps us to regain awareness of our shadow in action and increase our consciousness. We will make poor choices from a place of shadow, as much we strive not to. The key for us—and our invitation to you—is an openness to feedback, a desire to learn, and a recognition of our shadow so we know what to watch out for and therefore what changes we should make to limit the likelihood shadow will appear.