Description of Challenge
As leaders, we tend to operate in one style a style that we know well, that others praise us for
and that has been appropriate to the roles we have played so far. We might be unaware that other
styles of leadership are not only appropriate as well, but could serve bette
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim
fulfilled,they will say: we did it ourselves.” Lao Tzu
“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” Peter Drucker
Solution
Carl Jung and others saw that inside every human being is a feminine and masculine potential (yin
and yang, anima and animus) and a static and dynamic potential. When we marry these four
potentials together, 4 archetypes of human behaviour emerge:
Medicine Woman (Dynamic, Feminine), Great Mother (Static, Feminine), Sovereign (Static,
Masculine), and the Warrior (Dynamic, Masculine). Once we are aware of these four styles, we
can reflect on how well established each archetype is in our own leadership and then develop a
practice to strengthen our weakest areas. This will make us more able to respond creatively and
appropriately to whatever situation presents itself.
References:
● Moore, Robert L. and Douglas Gillette. King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the
Archetypes of the Mature Masculine. USA: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992.
● Map: Leadership Styles
● Map: Leadership Styles Ways to Develop Potential
● Map: Negative Leadership Styles
Submitted by: Robin and Kosha
Developed in collaboration with
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