Inevitably, when individuals have served on my teams for a length of time, the lines of demarcation begin to soften. Mutuality, trust, and affection grow and lead to the dismantling of earlier boundaries. This can be wonderful, and also fraught with complexities. When a relationship begins with one person being the identified leader, some awkwardness may surface as it shifts into mutuality.
Our transition from hierarchy to mutuality felt a bit like a plane landing during a thunderstorm: turbulent. Leadership gives us a scaffolding upon which to build relationships but that same structure often feels too rigid when imposed on friendships.
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