Blue River / 2006
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Hello,
Welcome to Connecting Dots.
The goal of this newsletter is to help develop society’s most innovative leaders.
This month we head to high alpine mountains to understand the archetypes that make a great innovation team.
Onwards,
BM
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Innovation Leadership Archetypes
What is your self-image as a leader?
Many innovation leaders see themselves as a superhero. Someone unafraid to take on dangerous challenges with a worthy goal—a saviour whose full powers are hidden and typically come with inconvenient side effects. It’s a role and archetype that attracts idealization and demonization in equal measures when their superpowers become known.
Yet, unlike fighting crime and evil mutants as a heroic loner; innovation is a team task. Therefore, the singular superhero image is limited in its real-world applications.
A better self-image is as a member of a mountain climbing expedition—a team comprised of multiple archetypes. To tackle highly risky, technically difficult and emotionally demanding tasks you need a team made up of mutually supportive and diverse capabilities, behaviours and motivations. As well as different forms of authority, resources and responsibilities. These differences are united by a common goal and a willingness to venture out into the unknown.
My ideal expedition team features five innovation leadership archetypes:
The Optimist
A dreamer who is driven by novelty and disinterested in formal rules or regulations. They see opportunities others don’t and tell great stories. A cultural catalyst, they inspire you and activate your curiosity to explore. They build enthusiasm to get started but tend to lose interest in organizing and thinking through consequences.
The Realist
A natural organizer who brings people together towards a common goal. They take someone’s vision and can break down how to make it real. Always thinking two steps ahead, they continually evaluate options and map out the best route as conditions change. You gain reassurance from their presence. While they are excellent at orchestrating, they rely on specialists to progress through demanding terrain.
The Survivalist
A generalist who works well in ambiguity and maintains superhuman resilience in extreme conditions. They’ve seen the best and worst of what’s possible. One might say they’re grizzled or hardened, but they never lose their spark for adventure. Resourceful, unflappable and excellent at reading situations quickly. They are a bit stuck in the past but help you from repeating avoidable mistakes.
The Specialist
A helicopter expert who flies in for specialized operations and then flies out as you carry on your way. Highly skilled with specific technologies they are here for you in the here and now. They don’t get emotionally attached, it’s the work that motivates them. Always have their number at hand but only call when it’s really necessary as their time and attention are sought after and given to those who need it most.
The Strategist
Your eyes and ears calling in from basecamp. They can’t see what you see but they give you a wider perspective. So you can see what you can’t. They love thinking two steps ahead and devising new options for you, especially as conditions change. They can be abstract or overly intellectualized, and get touchy if their recommendations aren’t taken up, however, at their best they help those in the field make great decisions by combining strategy and reality.
Leadership Gym
In practice, you may neatly fit into one archetype or see yourself as a blend. You’ll notice each archetype has clear strengths and also some traits that might derail them if they are not self-aware or supported by people whose strengths are your weaknesses.
Archetypes are a form of self-image and a way to see how others in a team might respond to your role and contributions. It’s a helpful way to emphasize one’s strengths and visualize development areas. As well as a way to see you and your colleagues as a team of superheroes on a shared innovation mission.
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Learn more about how to develop more innovative leaders through psychodynamic leadership development.
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