Carl Jung once observed: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” His insight applies not only to individuals but to organisations. The unconscious shapes culture, decisions, and blind spots. To ignore it is dangerous. To confront it is transformative.
Jung’s theory of archetypes provides a useful framework for understanding leadership styles. The Hero drives vision and risk-taking but risks burnout. The Sage offers wisdom but may hesitate in action. The Rebel sparks innovation but risks chaos. Wise leaders recognise these archetypal energies in themselves and their organisations. Steve Jobs embodied the Rebel and Creator; Angela Merkel often exemplified the Sage.
Every organisation has a shadow — the fears, biases, and desires it suppresses. When ignored, shadows erupt in scandal. Wells Fargo’s sales fraud, Volkswagen’s emissions deception — both were shadows left unchecked. When acknowledged, shadows become sources of growth. Microsoft under Nadella faced its culture of arrogance and transformed into a more humble, learning organisation.
Jung’s concept of individuation — becoming whole — applies to companies too. Frederic Laloux speaks of wholeness in organisations: workplaces that allow people to bring their full selves to work. Google’s “20% time” policy birthed Gmail and Maps because it allowed playfulness and creativity.
Philosopher Martha Nussbaum has argued that emotions are not irrational but forms of intelligence. Embracing the unconscious, shadow, and emotion is not weakness but wisdom. Leaders who deny these forces impoverish their organisations. Leaders who engage them unlock resilience and innovation.Jung wrote: “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” The privilege of an organisation is the same. By confronting light and shadow, by integrating archetype and wholeness, organisations can become not only more effective but more human.