THE SAGE - Leadership & Brand Archetypes
Vanessa Couto, MA, PCC
Life Purpose Coach - I work with creatives and mystics who want to find joy, fulfillment and reconnect their sense of purpose to their work and livelihood.
This is the third article in my series on the 12 familiar Brand Archetypes and how they can lead the way in these complex and uncertain times.
Of all the Brand Archetypes, perhaps the one that we most need right now to help us move forward wisely is the Sage.
The Sage archetype can no longer hide inside the Ivory Tower of knowledge.
They need to bring their knowledge and ability to make sense of the world down to the street level and touch the common men and women, who are hungry for leadership that doesn’t feel far from them, and yet holds real knowledge. This hunger for leadership is what leaves a power vacuum for charlatans and chaotic disseminators.
The world needs those who, through their services and products, embody a grounded Sage archetype. Those who can make knowledge relatable, engaging, and pragmatic.
The core motivation of the Sage archetype is to understand the world, gain wisdom, and discover the truth — all things that seem to be in short supply if we take the news and those in leadership.
In a culture that has mistaken information for wisdom, those who can impart genuine knowledge will be in high demand. The Sage’s goal is twofold — to both learn and share their knowledge.
Other related archetypes are:
- Scholar
- Mentor
- Philosopher
- Oracle
These are examples of a few subdivisions of the Sage archetype. Our times present a challenge, but also an opportunity for those brands that embody the Sage archetype. While there’s a pronounced dismissal at those who uphold facts over beliefs, there’s also room for those who can convey knowledge in a manner that activates the hopes and creative potential of their followers.
The Sage archetype challenges reflect both your growing edges in your business, but also what you could be helping your clients tackle through your products or services. ?
At a glance, we can see the challenges of this archetype and how it reflects the shadow side of much of the leadership both in business and governments. Knowledge and wisdom are mistaken with dogmatism that closes off any possibility of communication and development.
?Challenges:??
- Dogmatism
- Disconnection from everyday reality
- Inability to take action
- Forever learning, but not applying
The preference towards saving face leads many to keep a tight hold on their ‘knowledge’ and dismiss reality. The tsunami of facts and information is causing analysis-paralysis but also an inability to digest and integrate what is being received fully.
Those who embody the Sage archetype in their business are poised to serve as a counter to these challenges that their clients/customers are facing.
Knowledge is only useful if it can lead to wisdom and clarity. It’s not to be held on too tightly that it won’t progress or develop. The most dangerous and insidious shadow aspect of the Sage archetype is dogmatism. It must be balanced with a secondary brand archetype to avoid businesses that embody the Sage to become that which one day they stood against.
The strengths of the SAGE archetype reflect your business magnetism and what is attractive about your brand to your clients/customers. These should inform your product and service creation.??
The strengths of the Sage archetype can reflect both what your business naturally has, but also what you could be helping your clients/customers be developing in their own lives. This is the core gift of the Sage archetype in terms of leadership now.
Strengths:??
- Analysis
- Truth-seeking
- Self-reflection
- Ability to convey complex ideas
Businesses that can take in the avalanche of information, analyze it, break it down into digestible for ease of integration, will be lighthouses amid chaos. Brands that urge reflective action and can come across as a balm of calmness in these stormy seas will have the upper hand in serving the marketplace.
At the very core of the word Sage, images of zen-like figures inhabit people’s unconscious — Gandalf, Yoda, Obi-Won Kenobi, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and FDR, are just a few examples to explore.
Each brand archetype brings with it a gift for these times. The Sage can serve as an example of knowledge that is deeply rooted, time-tested, and yet approachable. In times of global turbulence, THE SAGE archetype is poised to serve as the anchor to guide those who are looking for grounded wisdom.
Curious to learn more about how Brand Archetypes can help your business? Download our eBook on “Brand Archetypes & You” here.