In addition to the balance of self-other forces, there is another set of observable behaviors that will tip off a leader to the way that emotional process is present in a relationship network. These behaviors can be lumped together under the term “automatic functioning,” a phrase meant to imply the instinctual dimension that humans share in common with our evolutionary ancestors.

Bowen Theory focuses on reactivity as one of the primary expressions of automatic functioning. Reactivity is the name we give to feeling-driven responses to anxiety that come from a more primitive part of our brain. Reactivity is the public face of anxiety, which is why a resilient leader is one who learns how to “read” the level of anxiety by observing reactive behaviors. This is a very subtle skill, since reactivity can surface in so many different guises—for example, in physical symptoms and even in an “excessive” reasonableness!

An important aspect of the Resilient Leadership model is learning to watch for reactive behavior patterns that signal the presence of anxiety-driven automatic functioning. Leaders who “see” in this new way are better equipped to lead more effectively because they possess tools that surpass those of others who fail to recognize the crucial dynamics that play themselves out in the leader's organization and other relationship networks.