Written by: Krystal Matocha, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Leaders are like an alchemical spark, igniting the first flames of a movement or process.
There are many ways a leader can spark. They can cause friction by rubbing two pieces of wood together with a bow or a plow. Or they can knock two hard rocks together until sparks fly. Perhaps a more indirect approach through the concentration of light via magnification and intense focus. One less common method is the mixing of combustible chemicals. Either way, leadership is an intense role. To set a movement in motion, there’s always an element of heat, friction, or triggering involved. (Entrepreneurs, coaches, and decision-makers ‒ you know what I mean.)
I’ve had the benefit of knowing and interacting closely with a number of leaders. And despite field, title, environment, sex, wealth, image, personality, or skillset, the same few types of leaders repeatedly emerge.
Leader Type No1. The Firecracker
Leaders That Want You To Follow
The first type is usually the easiest to spot because they are so certain they are leaders. I like to think of them as noisy fire-starters or firecrackers. You cannot help but not notice them, as they are busy telling everyone exactly what to do and often what to think. Criticisms may abound.
Consequently, they have a definitive way and want everything done the “best” way. That’s another way of saying their way dictates which way. Questions and alternative thought processes may be discouraged. But the fires are sparked with a bang or a clang, and the movement builds rather fast. Why wouldn’t it build fast with such certainty and dictated absolutes? In a world of uncertainty, a person might feel comforted to have someone pointing the way.
Leader Type No 2. The Coaxer
Leaders That Want You To Lead Yourself
The second type of leader has a more subtle approach. They tend to be quieter, softer, and unassuming. They are willing to take the time to coax a spark into life. It gives them more control over where the spark lands and how quickly it spreads. There is care and concern for the environment. In their eyes, the movement is not just about the spark, but how the spark impacts all.
Despite their softer side, intensity can be fierce as they generate friction through an intense movement of the self. As a bystander, you may think they work very hard for little payoff. Or you may think they work very little for high pay. Either way, patience is key for this type of leader. They are focused on quality rather than quantity. With dedication, their efforts are rewarded, having acquired a prestigious set of skills with perfected timing. There is more sophisticated knowledge at work with this style.
To work with such a leader is a gift if you have enough insight to notice what you’ve found. Your questions may lead to more questions because there is recognition of many ways and parts. With more parts, more time may be needed, but then there is richness and depth that can self-sustain. Instead of seeking to have power over others, these leaders seek to empower themselves while simultaneously empowering others. Even still, they can be difficult to understand and predict because they synthesize many layers of information at once.
Leader Type No 3. The Life Giver
Followers That Lead Without Leading
Often there’s a distinction made between leaders and followers, but it’s not as clear-cut as we would like to think. The first few followers are not followers. They are leaders that see value in other leaders. Or we can call them followers that lead without leading. They are the air that breathes life into the initial spark as it contacts the first bit of fuel, tinder, or brush.
They are often unseen yet courageous, directed, and guided support for others. They don’t contend with leaders. They strengthen leaders by lending their knowledge, expertise, and talent. They are the oxygen that connects the flame with the fuel. The first few “followers” are key players that validate movements and trends so others more easily take notice. Without this specific form of leadership, the flame would die and the movement would end.
Derek Sivers created a brilliantly easy-to-follow video demonstration of a leadership movement in real-time as it unfolded. [1]
Leader Type No 4. The Fuel Driver
Followers That Follow Without Following
Finally, we come to the fourth type. They are often confused as leaders. These people are the conglomerate that drives entire communities to gather in large crowds. At times they’ve been called the in-crowd, although they are often the last to show up. So are they in or out?
Regardless, this is how fire spreads like wild. At the best of times, they are the fuel that propels a life-sustaining movement forward to unimagined heights.
You’ve already experienced this force first-hand if you’ve ever participated in a large group meditation, class, show, or concert. The mass-energy of a group can be electric, contagious, or magnetic as sparks ripple outward from one blade of grass to the next.
This effect is sometimes known as the Maharishi Effect, which has been scientifically studied and documented. [2] The general concept is that group consciousness states of coherence, peace, and love positively impact other members of the community in positive ways. Some benefits include improved health and quality of life, decreased crime, and reduced accident rates. Your state of consciousness literally impacts your community.
But wildfires can be renewing or devastating.
The downfall can quickly erupt if one’s actions are dependent on acceptance from the group. In other words, peer pressure and incoherence. Without the courage to stand on one’s own, a group may be used for support. After all, there is strength in numbers, and the more uncertain one feels the more appealing this option may become.
Ironically though, going along with the crowd is making a decision to go along with the crowd. Whether conscious or unconscious, the exercise of choice is an act of self-leadership, which is a way of following without following, and really just leadership of self.
In the end, you’re responsible for your actions, whether you choose to fit in or stand on your own. Even an attempt to avoid leadership is one way to wind up leading yourself and others somewhere unknown. As you see, everyone has the capacity and inclination to lead, even as they resist the idea of leading. Likewise, we are all followers, but the following is paramount to discern. Because once a wildfire gets going, good luck.
Krystal Matocha, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
As a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Krystal Matocha does more than help you mend your mindset. After struggling with disordered eating, boundary issues, anxiety, poor body image, and overall dissatisfaction with life, Krystal learned to connect with her subconscious mind for guidance and healing. Since then, she has committed herself to help you discover the most effective, efficient, and empowering methods for emotional and behavioral change. Krystal is the Founder of The Whole Measure, a holistic wellness center providing online hypnotherapy sessions to men and women across the U.S. Her mission is to make a change so simple you wonder why you couldn’t do it before.
Sources:
Data System. Accessed 27 April, 2022.
