Authentic Leadership Development – Using archetypes to improve your emotional intelligence

Ruler seeks Magician to help restore the kingdom

Jester seeks Creator to get right outside the box

Damsel in distress seeks knight, must have own horse.

The examples at the beginning may seem like strange lonely heart ads, but they’re universal patterns that we function around.

Take great movies like ET, Harry Potter, Pretty Woman, Cinderella, and those up for Oscars this year like Avatar.  Each is so powerful and successful because the characters embody a clear archetype and the story line is one we’re familiar with.  King Arthur needs his Merlin for Camelot to be healthy

An Archetype then is a root word that encodes a complete pattern.  If I said his leadership style is little Hitler you know exactly what I mean.

A picture may paint a thousand words, but archetypes convey everything in the word.  Archetypes carry the seed and energy in a universal language.  What’s so powerful is that you respond at a deep unconscious level and either the archetype draws you in or you pull away quickly.

Within business we’re also running our personal archetypal patterns.

The thing about archetypes is that over time we develop our favourites, and we have those that we out and out reject.  Yet all have their place and purpose.  I remember when I first worked with my archetypes.  My destroyer had in the past done just that, destroyed, so when I really needed to let go of things that no longer served a purpose I didn’t, I hung on, and hung on, and then experienced situations where ‘the baby went out with the bath water’.  My experiences with that archetype hadn’t been pleasant, so when it was required, it ran me rather than me using it.  Not good, and even less so as a leader.  We can do all the Emotional Intelligence stuff in the world, but trust me when I say that Archetypes run much deeper, so if you haven’t got a handle on them then you can only go so far.  Now of course things are different, I can sense when the destroyer is required, so I pay attention, what do I need to let go of  – it could be something physical, like a good office tidy up, it could be mental, like a belief, it could be emotional, maybe I’m not being true to how I feel and I’ve been ignoring myself.  When I know what it is I can work with it, and the destroyer is an Allie.  I also appear way more Emotionally Intelligent – and I am, because I’m paying attention to signals from the core of who am I.

Archetypes then are free powerful resources with a specific purpose, if you’re not aware of them, then they run you, when you are aware of them then you can use them.

As a leader your success – and ability to run a productive business with a  highly engaged workforce – is determined by your level of self awareness.  If you’re ready to take huge leaps forward then join me in April where I’ll be helping 12 leaders understand their archetypal patterns, access these phenomenally powerful resources and use them productively.  You can find more information here on our Archetypal leadership development course or contact us to secure your place.

Be Yourself

How much of yourself do you bring to work each day?

This happened to be one of the questions I asked a client recently.  The answer wasn’t anywhere near 100% or all of me.  So we explored the bit that didn’t come to work and why.

Years ago a colleague I worked with handed in her notice.  The boss was surprised and really wanted her to stay “why are you going?” he asked “because I have a PhD, and every day I arrive at work and leave my brains in the car park.  I won’t do that to myself anymore.”  He wanted to know what changes they needed to make so she could use her brains.  She pointed out that leaving them in the car was a safety precaution so she could remain sane working for this particular organisation.

From a  different perspective many people put on their work clothes as if it were some kind of armour behind which certain traits can hide.  In some instances people pretend to be something they’re not.  Often the underlying fear is that if they showed their true self that people won’t like them.  Have the confidence to be yourself, knowing that then the people who do like you, like the real you ,and you’re not deceiving anyone anymore, least of all yourself.

I think this sums it up nicely.

“When you stand in that sliver of space that is completely and utterly YOU, then you will be truly magnificent, wonderful and abundant” Joseph Riggio

What do you make people feel?

I love the BMW Joy advert.  From a branding perspective they’ve summarised what they believe they’re about.

What I really like is the bit where they say… ‘we realised what you make people feel is as important as the thing you make’ or words to that effect. I even spoke back to the TV, saying how true that statement was – and it is rare I am moved to talk back to the tele.

Now of course comes the challenge of getting that feeling of Joy into their dealerships.   Yes the cars when you drive them bring a feeling of Joy (I’ve had one and did enjoy driving it).   The dealership staff though never left me even close to Joy; unless you count when they handed me my keys back and I found that this time they hadn’t damaged the car.  Fortunately the fourth dealership and a commute later and I found one that didn’t think damaging your car was a normal side effect of a car service.

Having been this clear about their corporate statement then it has to be felt at every touch point.  Let’s hope they’re working on this so that something this powerful doesn’t just become a gimmick.

As a leader can you articulate your brand ethos so succinctly, your purpose, do you know how people feel when they’re with you and when you’ve just walked out of the room?

In a nutshell…Who you are, what you stand for and how you make people feel, are as important as the ‘thing’ you sell.

Self Image = Results

Your self image is determining your results.  Now maybe you’ve never seen your identity as directly linked to the results you’ve achieved or will go on to achieve.  In essence we can’t outperform our sense of self.  Well you can but only for a short while and then, like an elastic band, it snaps back to where it knows.

You’ve no doubt heard people say “act as if”, or ” you have to be it before you can receive it”.  We see this commonly in the workplace when people are doing a role before they get the promotion.

Self esteem, self confidence, results, success, resilience, adaptability are all tied up to self image / identity.

Any time you say “i am…” you’re making a statement about your identity.

Now most of us talk a lot but don’t really pay 100% attention to what we’re saying.   Your identity is unconsciously running you.

This autumn you can change all that.  You could decide you’re going to understand the power of self image and identity, and work on making sure yours is working for you, not against you.  Join me on my 8 week study group, we’re doing this by phone so it’s really easy to join in.  You can get the full details here.

The Hero’s Journey

The Hero’s Journey – well we’re all on one, although we usually call it life.  Yet within our life we have multiple chapters or mini hero’s journey’s.  And for that matter so does an organisation.

Who am I and why am I here, are two questions we are in a permanent dance with.

Who are we and why are we here, are the two questions any team or organisation is in a permanent dance with.

Our sense of ‘Identity’ is fundamental to achieving what we want.  Without knowing what fulfils us or gives us a sense of meaning we are empty / frustrated, living a life of stress that was never meant to be.

To quote Joseph Campbell “when you follow your bliss doors will open that could only open for you.”

In other words when you are being true to yourself and doing what you’re really meant to do, then true wealth and success will be yours.

On the 4^th June I’ll share with you the hero’s journey and the 12 keys to success.  Best of all, it’s all on a complimentary one-time teleseminar that’s my gift to you, and one that’s also a content-rich preview to my upcoming Archetypal Leadership Event.

Each and every one of us is on our own unique hero’s journey
And most of us are doing it totally blind.

I can honestly say that once I learnt about the Hero’s Journey and Archetypes my current circumstances suddenly made a whole lot of sense.  Rather like a game of Ker Plunk, a lot of marbles dropped at once.

This is material I share with my private coaching clients, and amongst other things it helps them with their decision making.

In this 75 minute teleseminar you will learn:-

-         What the hero’s journey is.

-         What are the 4 phases, and which one are you in right now.

-         What are the 12 keys.

-         How the hero’s journey inter-twines with successful goal achievement.

-         How understanding the hero’s journey brings a sense of stability even in times of chaos or uncertainty.

If you’ve been looking to create more success in your life this call is for you.

To register for the Hero’s Journey tele-seminar click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.