In an institution, as a manager, as a family leader, as a team captain or as a community leader… In situations where you have to manage one or a group of people, leadership skills must definitely be discussed. But have you ever thought that even if we do not manage someone, leadership energies are circulating within us? Leadership is a very special and powerful concept that can start from ourselves and spread beyond our sphere of influence.
It can sometimes be easier and more practical to explain such terms, which everyone understands differently, within a framework and provide an environment for speaking the same language. Among these frameworks, the one I use most frequently in my coaching sessions and whose positive effects I have experienced and tested is the “Leadership Wheel”. C. Clinton Sidle’s tool, inspired by Carl Jung’s division of human personalities into archetypes, talks about five different leadership energies. These five leadership energies are as follows:
Teacher Energy: Teachers observe things as they are, accurately and precisely, in detail and with little illusion. They like to be seen as an expert. They feel a responsibility to share knowledge, and in this sense they are a good coach and mentor. They know the world, and they are expert leaders.
Nurturing Energy: Nurturing symbolizes the power of being emotionally in touch with oneself and others and establishing solid relationships. Has social skills. Believes that when individuals feel valued and trust each other, they will be more motivated and willing to sacrifice for society. Demonstrates Servant Leader characteristics.
Visionary Energy: The intuitive intelligence where sensory input from the world is gathered, assimilated, and transformed into deep insight and comprehensive understanding. Quickly synthesizes and makes decisions based on inner voice. Loves ideas, motivated to learn and achieve. Can inspire with refreshing vision that can see the end of the road.
Warrior Energy: It is the archetype of action intelligence. It symbolizes the ability to carry out plans, internalize lessons, and close the gap between knowing and doing. It shows the will and determination to do things their own way. It recreates itself over and over again by using its free will and taking risks, narrowing the gap between its self and its ideal self. It leads by example, integrating with the path and influencing people.
Wise Energy: It is related to spiritual intelligence. Spiritual intelligence is where the mind develops; where there are hidden, guiding and executive impulses towards originality; where the potential for higher levels of understanding and existence awakens. At its highest level, wisdom is the sum of all other intelligences and the beginning and end. It is a constant student. It is a leader who is victorious both against himself and against the situations as a student.
We all have these energies inside us, to a greater or lesser extent. The excess of some energies in practice can also lead us to shadow or negative situations. The important thing is to realize which energies we naturally use in the situations we encounter, to take steps towards the state we want to be in, to discover our own potential. A professional coach can easily make this assessment for you and support you on the path you want to reach. What do you think, how would testing the leader energy within you with a coach and evaluating the results serve you?
