Differentiated Leader

A key theme in Friedman’s Theory of Differentiated is the idea that leaders need to be self-differentiated. That means, in short, that leaders can’t be overly identified with the groups they lead or else they won’t have the needed perspective to make hard decisions. In other words, leaders need to have clearly defined boundaries. They need to be in touch with the ideas and emotions of others but not dominated them. For example, currently there has been an ongoing issue in my organization being tardy. My supervisor has made countless remarks about this issue. However, once she was able to sit down with an open heart and mind. She was able to understand the issue and provide a reasonable resolution.

I believe, a good leader is someone that cares about the organization and its people. Someone that is open to new ideas, possibilities, and perspectives. They should be able to command the attention of the entire room without even speaking. However, there are some harsh realities being a good leader is not always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes you will have to make difficult or unpopular decisions or maintain your positivity even when you don’t really believe it. This is where your mindset will be self-differentiated between mediocre and exceptional leadership.