THE EXPLORER- Leadership & Brand Archetypes

This is the second in my series on the 12 familiar Brand Archetypes and how they can lead the way in these complex and uncertain times. (Catch the first article here.)

In every facet of life, we are called to show our creativity and leadership. One thing is sure now is that ‘business as usual’ is no longer viable or realistic. The cracks revealed by the pandemic are too many for us to ‘go back to normal.’ The only way out is through, and this will require creative leadership, alongside acumen, and a desire to explore avenues previously closed off by the comfort of the status quo.

The Explorer archetype is made for times like this.

As facades of our current ways of are crumbling, the archetype of the Explorer offers a way through that invites us to bridge our inner and outer lives in a way that is fulfilling and meaningful. The way we work and continue to do business is shifting dramatically, and brands that can step into the leadership vacuum will have a better opportunity of thriving.

The motivation of THE EXPLORER is to find who they are through going out into the outer world. Through exploring the external world and all that it has to offer, one can also explore the inner corners of themselves. This deep desire to find oneself and to create a fulfilling life by knowing who one is leads to an ability to take risks and face the unknown territories. It’s by putting oneself at the frontier between what is known and unknown that gives THE EXPLORER an attractive Brand Archetype.

Other related archetypes to THE EXPLORER are:??

?* Seeker??

* Wanderer??

* Individualist??

* Adventurer??

Services and products created by a business that embodies THE EXPLORER archetype are focused on helping their clients explore the different facets of who they are and the world they inhabit.

By creating experiences and ways to lead their clients through unknown territories, both inner and outer will help EXPLORER brands thrive in these times. For many, the dynamics of a paradigm shift are exciting, but that doesn’t mean they want to go at it all alone. They will also welcome leadership in those who can illuminate the journey ahead, thus helping in the transformation process.

Leaders are not those without challenges or in denial of their shortcomings. They are the ones that capture the inner gold inherent in their trials and share it as a boon with the world. The challenges of the EXPLORER archetype can be what your business struggles with, but also what you could be helping your customers/clients tackle through your services and products. ??

Some of the challenges of THE EXPLORER are related to:??

* Lack of commitment??

* Aimless wandering??

* Feeling like an outcast??

* Self-indulgence??

* Autonomy at the expense of all else??

One of the many cracks revealed by the pandemic is that no one is an island and that behind the self-determining and self-made mentality of the American culture, lies the shadow aspect of many feeling like outcasts, lonely, and lacking in the ability to commit to the wellness of the whole through sacrificing their immediate desires.

Through understanding the shadow aspect of THE EXPLORER, brands can help their clients with services and products build a bridge between their non-conformist selves and their creative ability. Thus, bringing something unique and meaningful of themselves to help the collective — both near and far.

During a time when answers to old problems will not serve to lead us forward, THE EXPLORER is here to lead us into unknown territories.

The strengths of THE EXPLORER archetype evoke many of the qualities of the American psyche. Working with these strengths will not only serve as a lighthouse for your business, as many will be looking for new ways through this collective mire, but it will also give your business its compass and followthrough.

Products and services that focus on these strengths will serve to lead the way, specialty when it comes to CURIOSITY. This unsung quality is what has driven human history through many of its challenges, and it will serve again to help us create new ways of doing business, relating, but also not falling into a rut of conformity and mediocrity.

The strengths of THE EXPLORER archetype are:??

?* Independence??

* Curiosity??

* Self-sufficiency??

* Ambition??

As THE EXPLORER, your leadership comes from driving ambitious curiosity to help others find independence that is rooted in the understanding that we are interwoven. My freedom is only as good as yours is.

Asking the questions that many don’t dare, taking the first step towards where many others fear to tread, and bringing the gap between the inner and outer worlds of experience and meaning-making are you the gifts of the leadership of THE EXPLORER archetype.

Consciously or not, many are looking for leaders who can show that through independent thinking, questioning and taking bold steps will be the way into a renewed world. In times of abundant and discordant information and pseudo-leaders, THE EXPLORER archetype is poised to serve as a breath of fresh air to a tired world.

Curious to learn more about how Brand Archetypes can help your business? Download our eBook on “Brand Archetypes & You” here.