Manager, Leader and Ruler

The other day a bunch of us were debating different managers’ leadership styles, it occurred to me there is one style of leadership very few people talk about explicitly, but it has been with us from the dawn of civilization - the ruler style. If you are leading a group of people, or being led by someone, there are three styles of leadership that you want to be mindful. One might choose different styles to lead from time to time, consciously or unconsciously. First, the manager style. Managers keep things going and get things done. They are the keepers of status quos. They may improve existing processes here and there, but by and large they don't bring in revolutionary changes. But that is not a bad thing: in most human history, evolutionary changes are way better than revolutionary changes, that are often destructive to our very existence. Second, the leader style. Leaders bring in visions and inspire the followers. They are dreamers who see beyond the horizon. Leaders are idealists and dreamers. They are the challengers of status quo. But leaders can also be aloof of the harsh realities. They might make impractical goals and set up unrealistic expectations. Third, the ruler style. This is the style that is less talked about because it can be provocative and controversial. A ruler's goal is to stay in power and manipulate their followers to fulfill their own desires. We all have a ruler in our psyche. Parents force their will on their kids all the time. Wolves live in packs. The male and female alpha wolves lead the hunt but also eat first. We can all hope our bosses to be “servant leaders”: https://lnkd.in/gEy3T4hV. But our bosses are human too. They have their egos, strengths and weaknesses, just like us. A lot of the behaviors we are not so proud of at work are the manifestations of the denied shadows from our psyche. The solution, according to Carl Jung, is to accept that shadow’s existence and integrate it into our personality: As managers, be mindful of the way we lead: are we being oppressive, manipulative, intimidating and condescending? Are we behaving like a ruler? Is that really the best way to achieve what we want? At least we should be explicit when we behave like a ruler, instead of letting the shadow take over our emotions and actions. As the ones being managed, watch out for rulers and tyrants around us: are we allowing them to oppress us, manipulate us and intimidate us? Are we strong enough to resist the oppression and aggression, to be independent? Can we maintain our inner peace against their manipulative techniques? Can we influence the culture we are in, to be resistant to the cult worship around cunning rulers? “To know your enemy, you must become your enemy” - Sun Tzu