Archetypes - A Powerful Leadership and Personal Development Tool
An archetype is a symbol or 'language of the mind'.
It is often viewed as a quintessential or generic personality type.
It is the original model or prototype of a person, object or concept - an ideal example or template - from which all others are derived, copied, patterned or emulated.
It can convey information that written and spoken words cannot, and holds an important place in mythology.
Jung believed that these symbols were inbuilt before birth ("primordial") and that they arose from the "universal collective unconscious".
He described the archetype as being "like an old watercourse along which the water of life has flowed for centuries, digging a deep channel for itself", and he claimed that we could only live a totally fulfilled life when in harmony with such symbols.
He classified archetypes into 'family', 'story' and 'animal' categories, composed of the following key examples (along with their accompanying characteristics): Family archetypes Father (stern, powerful and controlling) Mother (feeding, nurturing and soothing) Child (birth, beginnings and salvation) Story archetypes Hero (rescuer and champion) Maiden (purity and desire) Wise old man (knowledge and guidance) Magician (mysterious and powerful) Earth mother (nature) Witch or sorceress (dangerous) Trickster (deceiving and hidden) Animal archetypes Faithful dog (unquestioning loyalty) Enduring horse (never giving up) Devious cat (self-serving) While most archetypes are universal, some can be personal, and these can be particularly useful in personal development and branding.
Unused archetypes have been described as being "like treasures buried inside of us, waiting to be discovered".
Meditation on archetypal images has even been suggested recently as a potentially powerful leadership tool.
By sitting quietly and meditating on these symbols we can summon up the energies and characteristics that they represent, and imprint them on our subconscious minds, which is where our everyday personalities and capabilities are moulded and created.
The more that we let these images become an integral part of our mind-set, the greater will be our ability to live out those archetypes in our day-to-day lives.
We can, of course, imbue our chosen character on a specific occasion with whatever appearance and particular powers we choose, thus personalising it and enhancing its usefulness to us.
From a leadership point of view, it can also be especially helpful to visualise living or historic leaders of note, so that as we consider our actions and bearing we can be guided by how we would imagine that person to react in a given situation.
This can have the added bonus of building our confidence when we are faced with circumstances that would normally cause us doubt or stress.
Regular practice of this and similar techniques is recommended for anyone who wants to become a more rounded individual, a better manager or a more charismatic leader.
It is often viewed as a quintessential or generic personality type.
It is the original model or prototype of a person, object or concept - an ideal example or template - from which all others are derived, copied, patterned or emulated.
It can convey information that written and spoken words cannot, and holds an important place in mythology.
Jung believed that these symbols were inbuilt before birth ("primordial") and that they arose from the "universal collective unconscious".
He described the archetype as being "like an old watercourse along which the water of life has flowed for centuries, digging a deep channel for itself", and he claimed that we could only live a totally fulfilled life when in harmony with such symbols.
He classified archetypes into 'family', 'story' and 'animal' categories, composed of the following key examples (along with their accompanying characteristics): Family archetypes Father (stern, powerful and controlling) Mother (feeding, nurturing and soothing) Child (birth, beginnings and salvation) Story archetypes Hero (rescuer and champion) Maiden (purity and desire) Wise old man (knowledge and guidance) Magician (mysterious and powerful) Earth mother (nature) Witch or sorceress (dangerous) Trickster (deceiving and hidden) Animal archetypes Faithful dog (unquestioning loyalty) Enduring horse (never giving up) Devious cat (self-serving) While most archetypes are universal, some can be personal, and these can be particularly useful in personal development and branding.
Unused archetypes have been described as being "like treasures buried inside of us, waiting to be discovered".
Meditation on archetypal images has even been suggested recently as a potentially powerful leadership tool.
By sitting quietly and meditating on these symbols we can summon up the energies and characteristics that they represent, and imprint them on our subconscious minds, which is where our everyday personalities and capabilities are moulded and created.
The more that we let these images become an integral part of our mind-set, the greater will be our ability to live out those archetypes in our day-to-day lives.
We can, of course, imbue our chosen character on a specific occasion with whatever appearance and particular powers we choose, thus personalising it and enhancing its usefulness to us.
From a leadership point of view, it can also be especially helpful to visualise living or historic leaders of note, so that as we consider our actions and bearing we can be guided by how we would imagine that person to react in a given situation.
This can have the added bonus of building our confidence when we are faced with circumstances that would normally cause us doubt or stress.
Regular practice of this and similar techniques is recommended for anyone who wants to become a more rounded individual, a better manager or a more charismatic leader.
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