ARTICLES

Organizational Dynamics, Vol 36, #1, pp. 28-44
Translated into French as Archétypes de Leadership et Équipe de Direction, Gestion, Special Leadership review, Vol 33, #3, pp 48-60, Autumn 2008

In this article, a number of leadership "archetypes," ways of leading in a complex organizational environment are explored. These archetypes represent prototypes for understanding leadership behavior. Ideally, an executive team-representing a number of leadership archetypes-should be able to cover all the leadership needs that are required to make an organization effective.

Eight commonly found leadership archetypes are identified. Each of these leadership archetypes will prove more or less effective depending on the organizational situation. The archetypes listed are strategist, change-catalyst, transactor, builder, innovator, processor, coach and communicator. A description is given of each archetype including what it means working with, and managing each of these types. These in-depth descriptions form the foundation of a Leadership Archetype Questionnaire (LAQ).