Ever find yourself stuck in drama, reacting before you think, or feeling powerless in situations you care about? 

In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Donna Zajonc dives deep into the Drama Triangle and its positive alternative, The Empowerment Dynamic (TED). She and Darius explore how cultivating awareness, clarifying intention, and practicing self-compassion can turn automatic reactivity into conscious leadership and personal growth. Donna shares practical strategies for recognizing when we fall into victim, persecutor, or rescuer roles, and how to shift into creator, challenger, or coach roles that empower both ourselves and others. Whether in family life, friendships, or at work, these tools offer a roadmap to more meaningful, effective, and empowered interactions.

In this episode, Darius and Donna will discuss:

• (00:00) Introduction to the Empowerment Dynamic
• (02:35) Donna Zajonc’s Journey and Background
• (05:34) The Drama Triangle Explained
• (08:26) The Empowerment Dynamic Framework
• (11:23) Understanding the Roles in the Drama Triangle
• (14:15) Shifting from Drama to Empowerment
• (16:50) The Importance of Awareness and Choice
• (19:59) Leadership and the Empowerment Dynamic
• (22:39) Challenging vs. Persecuting Roles
• (27:29) The Power of Words and Personal Growth
• (29:12) Understanding the Drama Triangle
• (31:07) Shifting from Persecutor to Challenger
• (33:06) The Role of Intention in Communication
• (34:54) Curiosity as a Tool for Growth
• (37:00) Navigating the Rescuer Role
• (38:53) Empowerment Dynamics in Leadership
• (40:57) The Importance of Self-Compassion
• (42:50) Tools for Personal and Professional Growth
• (44:37) Creating a Culture of Empowerment

Meet Donna:

Donna Zajonc, MCC, is the Director of Coaching at the Center for The Empowerment Dynamic, where she designs and facilitates coaching programs based on the TED* framework (The Empowerment Dynamic). A Master Certified Coach since 2013 and recipient of Washington State’s Excellence in Coaching Award in 2017, Donna has been dedicated to professional coaching since 2001. Alongside her business partner David Emerald, she helps coaches and leaders move from the Drama Triangle to the empowering roles of Creator, Challenger, and Coach. Donna lives in the Pacific Northwest, enjoying beach walks, good books, dark chocolate, microbrews, and time with her children and grandchildren.

Meet Darius: 

Darius is your host of The Greatness Machine. Darius is a mad scientist, high-growth CEO, serial entrepreneur, author, conscious capitalist, speaker, and entertainer. Darius is on a quest to create 1,000,000 Core Value Driven Organization by 2030. He is calling this “The Core Value Revolution.” Darius is an alumni of the Birthing of Giants Entrepreneurial Program at MIT and Stagen Integral Leadership Program. Darius’s accolades include being ranked #9 Top Rated CEO in America on Glassdoor, has won numerous Stevie Awards, and has founded and grown organizations that have been ranked #40 in the Inc. 500 and were ranked #3 Best Places to Work By the San Francisco Business Time. He is all about the P’s: Passion, Pizza, Puzzles, and, especially, Pink Unicorns. His book, The Core Value Equation, is an Amazon #1 Best Seller and is available at www.thecorevalueequation.com.

The Greatness Machine shares lessons on how to framework your drive for results, create limitless space, and win the war on talent.

My team and I are on a mission to help YOU create a cultural revolution. I want to teach you how to build a core value driven organization. 

#GreatnessMachine

therealdarius.com

Make Greatness Happen!

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Facebook: @therealdariusm 

Instagram: @imthedarius

Twitter: @kingdarius

LinkedIn: @dariusmirshahzadeh

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Don’t let your Core Values become a company artifact!  Learn how to make Core Values the language of your organization.  Pre-order my book The Core Value Equation found at the link below 

The Core Value Equation

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