Each Archetype Needs Its Own Type of Leader

Traditionally, people who write and talk about leadership have attempted to identify a set of qualities that typify effective leaders.  By now I hope it has become clear that no one style of leadership can possibly be effective in all four organizational archetypes.  Each archetype needs - in fact, demands - its own particular style of leadership.  

Dozens of writers have - quite correctly - pointed out the dangers of trying to run a creative, loose-knit organization using a heavily bureaucratic and hierarchical management style.  Yet it is just as much a mistake to try to run a kingdom organization using a pioneer style of leadership - or, for that matter, a hunter or warrior leadership style.

The leadership attributes needed to run, say, a warrior organization such as General Electric are considerably different than those needed in a pioneer organization such as Amazon, which expends much of its resources developing and marketing new prescription drugs.
 
In short, leadership in any organization needs to reflect the strategic direction of the company.  

The following chart illustrates these differences among the four archetypes:


A ruler organization needs leaders who will drive the company to maintain or increase profit margins, and grow the company's ability to deliver more and more.  Warrior organizations need leaders who are exceptionally good at continually increasing efficiency, lowering costs, and finding new ways to differentiate their products from others.  A hunter organization needs leaders who can help the company quickly adjust products and marketing to market changes, while continually adding value to its products.  Pioneer organizations need leaders who can drive innovation and new product development, while maximizing the technology available to it. 

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Organizational ArchetypesThe Structure of Leadership There is yet another crucial aspect to matching leadership styles, organizational archetypes, and market environments: each archetype has its own ideal type of leadership structure. Read More Each Archetype Needs Its Own Type of Leader Traditionally, people who write and talk about leadership have attempted to identify a set of qualities that typify effective leaders.  By now I hope it has become clear that no one style of leadership can possibly be effective in all four organizational archetypes.  Each archetype needs - in fact, demands - its own particular style of leadership. Read More Culture and Values Each archetype requires a particular type of culture, which supports the organization and enables it to thrive (or at least survive and compete) in its market. Read More Systems and Behavior The organizational pattern in each archetype is largely determined by two factors: its natural and appropriate organizational structure, and the nature of professional relationships among its leaders and employees. Read More Four Organizational Ways of Life Archetypes are ways of describing the world, not limiting it.  The four organizational archetypes presented here are not clear-cut categories into which all businesses neatly fit at all times.  While many organizations are classic pioneers, or hunters, or rulers, others are better described as hybrids of two different archetypes.  Still others closely fit one archetype in many ways, yet have a handful of elements of one or more of the others.  The point here is not to put companies into pre-fabricated boxes and then provide black and white "solutions" for any organization that's been dumped into that box.  In fact, my purpose is quite the opposite: to provide you with a useful framework for examining your own organization and its market environment, so that you can devise your own unique answers based on the skills and information you'll acquire from Perfect Biz Match. Read More Organizational Fitness In nature, successful organisms - whether they're sharks, orchids, or impalas - are designed to survive and thrive in their particular environments. Paradoxically, however, the same characteristics that make a creature so successful in its natural environment also restrict its ability to survive elsewhere. A shark can't live even an hour on dry land; an orchid won't survive a single winter in Tennessee. The same principles hold true for businesses and markets. There needs to be a fit between the dynamics of an organization and the market environment in which it operates. Indeed, this fit is crucial to the company's survival. Read More