Why the Magician Archetype for Leaders?
Because magicians represent change, transformation, renewal, metamorphosis, possibility, potentiality, and innovation. Our world has seen enough of the warrior archetype focused on “killing the competition,” “the war for talent,” or the war against terrorism, poverty, illness and a host of other unwanted conditions. Leadership development of the future brings a focus on radically different abilities to lead 21st century organizations.
There is nothing wrong with the warrior energy; it rises to the challenge and saves the day. It balances idealism with realism. It brings us strength, resolution, courage to take a stand, and the ability to face harsh circumstances. It helps us survive as we hunt, defend, and guard the things most precious to us. As a leader, there will be times you will need to call upon your warrior energy. You will have to have tough conversations. You will have to overcome difficulties and make tough calls. You may have to protect and defend your organization in some fashion. We aren’t replacing the warrior energy here; just balancing it. (Call upon it the next time you need to clean your house or yard; you will get done very quickly!)
Left unbalanced, without the magician and other available archetypes (read more here) the warrior is tempted to use the skills of the battle for personal gain without thought of morality, ethics, or the good of others. The world is full of leaders who demonstrate this frequently. Our warrior is active when we feel compelled to compromise our principles in order to compete, win, or get our own way at the expense of others. We also slip into a mindset of embattlement, so that we perceive virtually everything that happens as a slight, a threat, or a challenge as something to be killed confronted or obliterated. In our warrior dark side, we are not relationship focused and appear driven to succeed at all costs.
While the magician has its shadow side (it is a manipulator for example, and every archetype has one), magician leaders motivate others to believe that anything is possible through their vision, their ability to hold and manage multiple diverse perspectives, and their skills to create breakthroughs. They thrive on a good challenge and know they can bring transformation among turmoil. They bring new, seemingly magical methods to their teams and organizations as a daily way of operating, not the exception to the rule. They are human-centered in their thinking and their designs. They keep up with the latest trends and follow the latest news to keep their organizations visionary. Vision is at the forefront for them, and their intense curiosity over how the world works compels them to discover new truths, insights and universal laws. They unite, rather than divide, their teams, stakeholders and organization with the broader community. They strive to bring their magic into the world.
The magician balances the warrior with a focus on inclusion, transformation and leading others through magic instead of leading through command, dictation, war, fighting, and creating divisiveness and calling it “progress.”
When you develop your magician archetype you:
Lead your vision to realization.
Apply your knowledge and skills to the development of others’ highest potential. You seek to go beyond inefficient conventional wisdom to find win-win solutions. You also use your intuition, or inner knowing, as an ally and combine it with your knowledge/intellect to drive results. This is the intersection of your magic.
Synthesize ideas, and take things from different realms and spaces, and bring them all together in one cohesive whole - to articulate a new perspective.
Learn to use symbols, patterns, trends and connections to continuously improve your organization’s processes and structure, on your way to redefining your industry.
Are serious about a magical culture, and you use rituals and magical methods to celebrate or inspire others to their own magic.
We need more of them. WE NEED YOU AND YOUR MAGIC.
Contact us today at annette@journeytoresults.com to learn more.