Exploring the Power of Archetypes in Building Successful Teams
Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung gave us the idea of archetypes, like universal behavior and motivation templates in our minds. They affect how we act, decide, and dream. Knowing and using these archetypes in teamwork can transform your group into a super high-performing team.
Picture a high-performing team success where each member represents different archetypes – like the forward-thinking Visionary, the compassionate Caretaker, and the innovative Creator. When these archetypes cooperate, they become a productive powerhouse that drives the team to victory.
This blog explores the Secret Weapon for High-Performance Teams -the power of archetypes and the related productive and unproductive characteristics.
Unlock & Build Successful Teams with Archetypes
The Hero
Productive:
Someone brave, strong, courageous, and takes the initiative. They are risk-takers and self-determined, often striving for success and recognition. They overcome obstacles and adversity by proactively finding solutions through problem-solving. The hero has a take-charge attitude, is decisive, sets a positive example, and has a strong sense of purpose and meaning.
Unproductive:
They may need to be more self-reliant on strength and power, need recognition, struggle with communication, and possibly need help with delegation.
How to Unlock Your Team’s Full Potential?
Channel the hero’s courage and initiative through goal setting and provide acknowledgment and recognition when goals are achieved. Provide feedback and coaching on communication skills and delegation.
The Caretaker
Productive:
Someone generous and compassionate, who puts others’ needs and well-being ahead of their own. They focus on creating harmony within teams by offering support and connection.
Unproductive:
They may be prone to self-sacrifice, leading to burnout if their needs are neglected.
How to Unlock Your Team’s Full Potential?
Assess and evaluate the caretaker is not overtaxed by their generosity. Provide recognition for their contributions and allow them to attend to their needs and the teams.
The Nurturer
Productive:
Someone who expresses care, empathy, and support. They are patient, kind-hearted, and understanding. They may excel in a mentoring role.
Unproductive:
They may be prone to emotional caretaking, leading to neglecting their needs.
How to Unlock Your Team’s Full Potential?
Be aware that the nurturer is not overburdened, provides support, offers breaks, and encourages balance.
The Creator
Productive:
Someone unique, imaginative, and innovative. They are passionate about creating something new, exploring new ideas, and thriving in creative solutions for problems.
Unproductive:
They may be prone to perfectionism, leading to self-doubting or isolative behavior.
How to Unlock Your Team’s Full Potential?
Assist in helping them balance creative pursuits and practical demands and setting reasonable expectations for results.
The Visionary
Productive:
Someone who possesses a strong sense of purpose and meaning. They are forward-thinking and inspire others with their optimism and enthusiasm.
Unproductive:
They may be vulnerable to rigid or impractical, delaying progress or execution.
How to Unlock Your Team’s Full Potential?
Help establish clear objectives and benchmarks while tracking progress to reduce overwhelm and burnout.
The Sage
Productive:
Someone who is curious and possesses a desire for knowledge. They thrive in learning, growing, seeking wisdom, and understanding.
Unproductive:
They may struggle with balance and be vulnerable to over-prioritize learning at the expense of emotional connection.
How to Unlock Your Team’s Full Potential?
Provide supportive feedback on their ideas and inspire them to engage in new tasks that push them out of their comfort zone.
The Rebel
Productive:
Someone who drives social or cultural change through non-conforming behavior, risk-taking, or thinking unconventionally. They are not afraid to “rock the boat.”
Unproductive:
They may struggle with and lack discipline or respect for authority, leading to team conflict.
How to Unlock Your Team’s Full Potential?
Provide space to “rock the boat” and challenge the status quo while offering feedback on how they can remain respectful of others’ opinions.
The Magician
Productive:
Someone who excels in creative problem-solving, innovative thinking, and strategic planning. They are imaginative, see the big picture, are change-oriented, and convert dreams into reality.
Unproductive:
They may be vulnerable to losing patience.
How to Unlock Your Team’s Full Potential?
Encourage collaboration and open dialogue.
The Ruler
Productive:
Someone who possesses leadership, decisiveness, influence, authority, order, power, and control. The ruler is considered strong, competent, confident, responsible, and a good role model.
Unproductive:
They may be susceptible to being domineering.
How to Unlock Your Team’s Full Potential?
Allow flexibility in decision-making, recognize, and acknowledge individual contributors, and delegate responsibilities appropriately. Provide feedback, guidance, and coaching to team members.
Conclusion:
The hero, caretaker, nurturer, creator, visionary, sage, rebel, magician, and ruler have many productive and unproductive characteristics. Understanding one’s archetype and recognizing others can help teams work more effectively by leveraging each person’s skill set. By identifying each archetype’s productive traits and any unproductive behaviors that may need addressing, teams can create an environment where everyone contributes meaningfully while being aware of each person’s limitations.
Questions & Reflections:
- What is your archetype?
- How does this archetype impact behaviors and interactions with others?
- Which archetypes are needed for your teams’ success?
Recommended Reading:
Quick survey to find out your Archetype
‘The Eight Archetypes of Leadership’ by Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries
‘The Five Entrepreneur Archetypes: Which One Are You?’ by Terry Tateossian
Meet Jodie, your Culture & Transformation Captain. With over twenty years helping people change, facilitating team discussions, building cultures, designing, implementing and teaching classes, your organization is in good hands.
