I'm working with several large organizations experiencing significant transitions and change—nothing like a little systemic instability to send us back into our Reactive strategies.
The Reactive is an effective anxiety management system. When the environment is unpredictable, and uncertainty abounds, we seek to protect our identity by returning to the early patterns that served us well.
It's not wrong. It's our nervous system doing what it's designed to do under stress. If you notice yourself a bit more Reactive when things feel volatile, congratulations, you're human.
One of the most common Reactive tendencies I see with senior leaders during times of change is DRIVEN.
The Driven dimension in The Leadership Circle measures the extent to which a leader is in overdrive and believes their worth and security depends on accomplishing a great deal through hard work. It measures the need to perform at a very high level in order to feel worthwhile and valuable as a person.
When I debrief a leader with high Driven, I get curious about their origin story around hard work, sacrifice, and self-worth.
I'll often ask them to share three stories from their past that helped shape their ideas and values around hard work.
One common narrative goes, "when I was growing up, I was never the fastest, strongest, or most athletic kid on the team, but no one ever outworked me." I'm safe and included so long as I work harder than anyone else.
Another might be, "As the child of immigrants, I watched my parents struggle and tirelessly work to build a better life for my siblings and me - I don't know how they did it." To be honorable, you must work tirelessly for those you love.
At the root of Driven often lies loyalty - to a parent, culture, or even a younger self. A leader's "Driven narrative" is often a story of resilience, grit, and a desire to be of value.
The question is, does the leader have their story, or does the story have them? Can they access the gift of their Driven without becoming subject to it?
Leaders with high Driven can transform their story into purposeful, generative movements - or become trapped in an endless spin of activity that will exhaust themselves and the people around them.