The Four Natural Elements Of Leadership.

Leaders come in all different shapes and sizes. There is no blueprint, and there are no assembly instructions. One “leader’s” path may differ from a “follower” by one single seminal event that made all the difference. There are, of course, a number of character traits that leaders have in common, but no leader is the same as another. Leadership is individual and unique, a mix of art and science, and the force that drives the development of our modern world.

There have been many attempts to define a leader, and many of them will ring true. While contemplating this post, I remembered a particular camping trip in my youth. It struck me that the elements of the natural world correspond closely to some of these leadership definitions. Reminiscing about sitting on the soft ground by a campfire, with the light evening breeze playing with the flames and the sound of a bubbling stream in the background; I came to some conclusions about the four natural elements of leadership:

Earth. This kind of leader is always there for you. They are solid, dependable, and you know that they have “got your back.” They might not necessarily be the most inspirational of people, but they will ensure that things are done properly, and everyone knows what to expect from them. When things get too stressful, they sometimes have a tendency to lose their usual clarity, and their team should get used to the ensuing “muddy” repercussions.

Wind. This leader has the most changeable nature depending on what is required to get the work done. They can conjure up a warm breeze of encouragement to gently chivvy things along, or at the other extreme they might produce a storm capable of levelling whole cities if they are in the way. They motivate by “pushing” their team along in the required direction and at the required speed. Some members of the team will soar like birds on the air currents, others will get their hang-gliders out, but some will wait it out in the storm shelter until things die down.

Fire. Without fire, I’m not sure that our species would be here today. Since pre-history, fire has warmed us, it has frightened off our enemies, it has cooked our food, but there is no element that is more destructive. It is incredibly exciting (and secure) to follow in the wake of a fire leader as they scorch their path through the business environment, but the moment that those flames are turned on you, the resultant burns could scar you for life. They have “combustible” personalities – one moment they are sizzling along, the next minute they are a raging inferno. Watch out. Water. As long as water is moving, it carves its path through the environment and takes everything else along for the ride. It flows rapidly when the river is shallow or slowly when the river is wide and deep. The water leader immerses their team in their vision and motivates them to keep flowing in the same direction every step of the way. Unlike fire and wind, the water leader is however restricted to working within set boundaries, and if they come across a dam, their momentum can slow, which can be frustrating. The best water leaders encourage you to test your strength and swim against the flow when you feel that it is required.

I’m sure that you can recognise a few of these traits in your own leaders and colleagues alike. It would be interesting to hear what other elemental comparisons you might be able to suggest.