Out of the 313 videos I’ve shared on my YouTube channel, one stands head and shoulders above the rest.
It’s not flashy. It’s not highly produced. In fact, it was filmed on my webcam at home.
And yet, The Dreaded Drama Triangle versus The Empowerment Dynamic has racked up more than 27,000 views – far more than anything else I’ve posted.
I shouldn’t be surprised.
These two models are powerful. I didn’t create them, but I use them constantly because they work. The Drama Triangle was developed by psychologist Stephen Karpman in the 1960s. The Empowerment Dynamic was introduced by David Emerald in the 1990s as a positive alternative.
They’ve featured in both of my books and I teach them in almost every training session I run. Not just because they’re simple and practical, but because they’re transformative.
They help people see themselves and others with clearer eyes. They shine a light on the mindsets, communication patterns and roles we fall into – often without realising – and offer a way out. A way to shift our thinking, change our conversations, and take back our power.
I’ve seen it over and over again – in myself, in my clients, and in the stories people share with me, some of which I share in the video.
These concepts stick because they’re real. They help us navigate the messy, human part of life and work.
So today, I thought I’d share that 11:23-minute video with you too. If you’ve already seen it, maybe it’s worth another watch.
And if you want to go deeper, I’ve unpacked each of the three shifts in more detail in three new Ask Leah videos over the last month:
These roles show up everywhere – in workplaces, families, friendships, even in our own inner dialogue. The good news is, once you spot them, you can shift them.
Because while drama keeps us stuck, empowerment moves us forward.
Leah Mether is a communication and soft skills trainer obsessed with making the people part of leadership and work life easier.
With more than 15 years’ experience working with thousands of clients, and an two acclaimed books to her name, Leah knows what it takes to communicate under pressure. Like you, she knows the challenge of conflict, personality clashes, and difficult conversations.
Leah is renowned for her practical, engaging, straight-shooting style. Utilising her Five Cs® model of communication, she helps leaders and teams shift from knowing to doing, and radically improve their effectiveness.
