What's Next? How the Warrioress can help us step into leadership

It's that weird time-vortex week between Christmas and New Year's Day, when we start to lose track of what day it is, what we 'should' or 'shouldn't' be eating, sleeping at odd times, watching far too much telly and who knows what else. You know what I'm talking about, right? To be fair, I'm just glad for a bit of a breather. Not everyone is able to take this time off work and with kids at home, it's not easy. I've had the luxury this year, and I'm very grateful. But even if you are working this week, it probably feels a bit different--even if you work in retail (you have my sympathies, I've been there)!

So it might seem strange to have a look at the PowerType™ who is generally the most physically energetic this week: The Warrioress™! After all those mince pies, chocolates, endless carbs and a fair amount of alcohol, she might be the best to help pull us out of the post-Christmas fog and help set some intentions for this next year.

I've never really been one for New Year's resolutions, because we all know how quickly those are abandoned. But I think it's worth reflecting on the past year and considering where we'd like to go next. So let me introduce you to our fourth archetype.

The Warrioress™ is energetic and youthful. I find the best way I can connect to her personally is to envision my teenage self, perhaps minus the angst. She's the young girl who is passionate about changing the world, about righting wrongs and fighting for justice. I connect to her through listening to my favourite music of that time in my life, like 90s grunge rock, but most upbeat, fun music can help us connect to this energy. I especially love old school rock, as the mantra of early genres like 60s/70s rock and punk was about 'sticking it to the man.' Female-fronted bands like Blondie, The Runaways, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Pat Benatar and others are my particular favourites to connect with my own inner Warrioress™. For that reason, my Warrioress™ playlist is probably the longest and most diverse amongst all my PowerType™ playlists, because she really likes to get down and boogie. The key is to discover whatever works for you.

The Warrioress™ is known for her commitment to fighting for justice. She's brave, independent and quick to act. She's also fiercely protective of her own, like a tigress. Other people admire her raw energy, but sometimes she can be hard to keep up with.

I like to have characters or actual historical figures in mind to help me connect with the PowerTypes™. For me, the Warrioress™ can be seen in characters like Wonder Woman (or any of her Amazonian sisters), or in historical figures like Joan of Arc or even modern heroes like Greta Thunberg.

Here are some other key characteristics of the Warrioress™:

• Youthful

• Athletic

• Playful

• Agile & flexible

• Conviction

• Resilient

• Fights for justice

• Defends boundaries (home, work, finances, children, body)

• Will sacrifice for her cause

• Independent

• Disciplined

• Sees opportunity, trusts instincts and then acts quickly

The Warrioress™ inspires action, empowerment and admiration in others. People go to her for protection, vitality, physicality (rough and tumble), and fun. She works hard, but she also plays hard. As a leader, you'll see the Warrioress™ right on the front lines with her own sleeves rolled up. She leads by example. Often, this is by being the best or most dedicated.

I think it's really important to point out that the Warrioress™ is NOT the same as Superwoman. The main difference is that she knows when to stop working and enjoy herself, whereas Superwoman will work herself into the ground.

However, as with any of our PowerTypes™, being over-expressed or under-expressed can cause some common problems. An over-expressed Warrioress™ can lead to burn out--both of herself AND of her team. So while she's an excellent leader, it's important that your leadership style encompasses the other PowerTypes™ to avoid this. A team led always from Warrioress™ will eventually fatigue, disengage and lose motivation as they struggle to keep up with their leader's impossibly high standards. No one wants that!

Additionally, the cause and mission of the Warrioress™, which she is so passionate about that she will occasionally sacrifice her own needs for, can leave little room for emotions or meaningful connection, and this can lead to personal or professional relationship breakdown if she's over-expressed. She's fantastic for starting new projects and for meeting deadlines, but this energy is not a place you want to remain in all the time.

On the other side of this, we find the under-expressed Warrioress™. She has little get-up-and-go, whether that's physical or emotional energy. She might often find herself as the victim, being walked over, passed over and ignored. The under-expressed Warrioress™ can often have poor boundaries, having much to complain about but feeling powerless to change anything in her life. She also does not have a lot of fun. When faced with an opportunity, she hesitates and might find it difficult to make a decision. She can be preoccupied with what others think of her rather than her own truth.

So how about you? Does any of this ring true for you? You can see how a poor work/life balance can lead to a predictable cycle of over and under-expressed Warrioress™ in our lives. We get excited about a new project, and we work and work and work but then forget to rest, and soon we find ourselves heading towards burnout. If this carries on, this can start to wear away at our energy levels to the point that nothing brings us joy anymore. There is no more fun and no more vitality because we're just too damn tired. I have most certainly found myself on both sides of this.

However, there is no need to despair! There is so much hope to be found in balancing this out, along with the engagement of our other gorgeous PowerTypes™. Mother™ and Lover™ in particular are a helpful remedy for burnout, and the Queen™ is really useful in providing more structure and boundaries so that we're only taking on what is within our capacity to manage realistically and efficiently.

Speaking of which, the Queen™ and Warrioress™ work really well together in achieving our intentions. While the Queen™ plans out the vision, the Warrioress™ then executes said plan with specific actions.

If this PowerType™ seems elusive to you, we've got some fantastic exercises to help you begin to connect with her:

Dance Just for Fun!

This is a quick and easy way to get into a playful state. For me, it also helps me to have the energy I need to do housework. Without my playlist, I'd never get it done! But this exercise is all about just having fun. And it's a great one to get the kids involved in, because they'll join you without you even having to ask. So crank up your favourite tunes and rock out. It's a great way to blow off steam, or to lift your spirits when you're down.

Feisty Exercise

This can be a little tricky with the gyms still closed, so you might have to get a little more creative about the type and venue. Try a kick boxing class, martial arts or have a rough and tumble play with the kids. Have a wresting match (or perhaps a bit more!) with your partner. Connecting with your physical strength will connect you to your Warrioress™. Find your inner tigress and give her a chance to run around a bit.

Turn something mundane into something fun

It takes conscious effort to bring joy into our lives, especially when it comes to boring daily tasks like cleaning the house, exercising or doing the work tasks we really don't enjoy. So take an activity which happens often that you don't particularly like, and transform it into something fun. It could be as easy as blasting your fun play list while you're doing the dishes (like I said before, mine would never get done otherwise). But you could take it further and buy a lovely, colourful dish brush and gloves. Finish it off with some amazing hand cream. Or take some treats into your next boring team meeting to lift everyone's mood from the outset. In these days of endless Zoom meetings, why not wear a funny jumper? If we can turn a loathsome chore into something tolerable, we can do anything!

Brag Baby

If there's one thing the Warrioress™ embodies, it's confidence. We as women are particularly good at lifting each other up, but so often we play down our own achievements. So share something you've achieved lately within a safe space. A win, a brag--something you've done well and makes you feel awesome. Share it with someone you know and trust who will happily celebrate with you. Share it with someone you've just met recently. Then, notice how this goes and what comes up for you. What did you learn? The key is about stretching your comfort zone. Maybe you can easily share your wins with people close to you, but not at work. Or maybe you're happy to talk about one set of abilities but you tend to diminish yourself in another. Learn from this experience.

Here are my Top Tips from the Warrioress™ in thinking about our challenging times and discovering what is next:

1. Work hard AND play hard. Sure, it's great to step into Warrioress™ to get a deadline knocked out, or to keep our motivation up through a rigorous workout at the gym. But she's also fantastic for play. While we know play is a key aspect to every child's development, we as adults too often forget how important it is for us as well. So carve some time out for some rough and tumble play with your kids, with your friends, or on your own. It doesn't have to be physically challenging if your body isn't up for that just yet, it just needs to be fun. Have a laugh, be silly and just let your hair down every once in a while. Don't let it become a rare occurrence, but a regular part of your life.

2. Re-discover your vitality and passion. You might be enjoying fabulously good health right now. Or you might be more like me, having lost a bit of mojo in the aftermath of having a child on top of years of burnout. Either way, the Warrioress™ is key for discovering both our physical vitality and other passion(s) in life. If you're thinking about a career change, ask yourself what makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning. What did you used to enjoy doing which you'd love to get back into? Go for it!

3. Carpe Diem. Yes, seize the day! Stop waffling when an opportunity presents itself and just decide it is your time. It's your time! Life is short. I'm not suggesting that you do something reckless, but only that when an opportunity arises and your instincts are telling you to go for it, give yourself permission to do so. Trust those instincts and act before it's too late.

Have a go with some of these exercises or tips this week, and see how the Warrioress™ can help you step into the leadership you were meant for. Share with us in the comments and as always, keep looking after yourself!

Love,

Christine El Issa