Observing Team Dynamics in Order to Transform Them
The Sociologist Hat practice is a useful way to step back into observer mode in order to notice group dynamics without getting pulled into the drama. This matters for leaders and anyone really who is trying to function well within groups and teams, especially in times of great uncertainty.
That practice relates to the foundational layer of two of the six Resilient Teams components:
Self and systems awareness → noticing negative bias and group contagion before it derails momentum (and then there are later components to develop the skills to rebuild once it’s been derailed)
Emotional and cognitive regulation → shifting from reactivity to embodied leadership and grounded group behavior in the moment (later components of the program teach constructive feedback and communication for when things go off the rails, as they will.)
Here’s what this can look like in action:
A leader I worked with—let’s call him Joe—took these skills back to his team. Three months later, he told me:
He’s more grounded. Instead of reacting, he now pauses and chooses intentional responses. He says he’s in the best professional place of his career.
He deepened his self-work. He started journaling, reflecting, and even re-enrolled to finish his graduate work to advance his scholarly practitioner stance, weaving resilience into his research on management gaps.
He realized the value of an external catalyst. In his words: “Neither I nor our leadership team could have gotten this going in the right direction. It took an external voice to lay the groundwork.” (That external partner was me!)
Joe’s story shows what happens when awareness and regulation move from individual practices into collective habits: teams stop being derailed by contagion and start creating clarity, connection, and momentum.
After the 10-week program that blends curriculum and coaching, Resilient Teams participants show growth in identifying stress triggers, pausing before reacting, and a stronger ability to manage their physiological responses. Individuals understood their stress thresholds and reset behaviors in order to grow tolerance.
And it starts with a leader stepping up like Joe did, bravely and vulnerably, to make the shifts internally first.
Curious what this could look like for you and your team?