Global Ecovillage Network/Solution Library/Leadership styles

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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 better.

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

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)
• 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.

• Leadership & Governance.

• 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.