Kathy Minardi joins us to talk about applying the Bowen Theory of family systems to create a healthy school community. Edwin Friedman, author of A Failure of Nerve, was the first to apply Bowen’s family systems theory to professional organizations, which he argued have personalities, just like families. Friedman’s approach focuses on the importance of leaders being self-differentiated, being non-anxious, and being present with those one is leading. According to Friedman, self-differentiated leadership involves:

• the capacity to separate oneself from surrounding emotional processes

Kathy provides an overview of how Bowen Theory can apply to a school community, providing specific examples of how she did this in her own school community.