This is the most demanding of the four archetypes and I think involves a lifetime of evolution.
The following features describe the Healthy Sovereign Archetype.
• Leaves lasting legacy | • Present in the here and now |
• Strong Outer Witness | • Inspires culture of generosity |
• In service to others | • Empowers others to thrive |
• Inclusive | • Comfortable in Uncertainty |
• Aligns Inner and Outer |
The basic task of one’s Healthy Sovereign is to Be Open – not attached – to Outcome. Shadow Sovereign Archetypes describe those who have too much (Tyrant) or too little (Weakling) Sovereign Energy.
TYRANT | WEAKLING |
Sees self as Special | |
Power as a Birthright | Feels Inferior |
Do what I tell you to do | No personal power |
My way or the highway | Feels worthless |
My needs and the company’s needs are the same | Incapable of setting direction for own life |
Wants approval of others |
Using this framework, consider the following questions. i. Which is your default Sovereign type:
ii. How does your Sovereign usually show up:
iii. Which Shadow Sovereign are you most familiar with in your own behaviour: Tyrant or Weakling?
iv. In what sort of situation is this Shadow Sovereign most likely to appear?
Building Trust is a crucial component of the work of a Healthy Sovereign.
In her TED talk (How to build (and rebuild) trust | Frances Frei - YouTube), Harvard Business School lecturer Francis Frei shares her belief in the importance of Trust as the foundation for everything we do. She continues by saying that if we were able to learn to trust one another more, unprecedented human progress would become possible.
Brene Brown turns her researcher gaze onto Trust and reports on her progress in identifying its building blocks in a Super Soul session with Oprah Winfrey (SuperSoul Sessions: The Anatomy of Trust - Brené Brown (brenebrown.com).
She creates the acronym BRAVING to summarise her findings:
i. Which of these seven building blocks are your particular strengths?
ii. Which items do you need to work on strengthening?
iii. How much do you trust yourself?
Once you have your list, you might be interested in asking people who know you well (at home and at work) to select both your strengths and weaknesses from the BRAVING items. How much overlap is there between your view of yourself and others’ perceptions of you?