Archetype: Defenders
Driver: Motivated to protect something they believe is important from being changed or undermined.
Behaviors and Characteristics:
- See their role as the guardians of something precious.
- Often feel they have a special view of why something should be preserved that others are not privy to.
- Ready to step forward on behalf of their community – to take the credit or the arrows.
- Learn that through compromise and allying with partners, they can accomplish more.
- May come to their ‘Defender’ role later in life as they see the value of preserving the past.
Challenges:
- To continue to welcome change, new ideas or new attitudes.
- To avoid being emotional; to maintain their ability to step back and see the bigger picture.
- To share their point of view in a way that doesn’t make them appear intransigent or blind to change.
- To avoid having their views distorted or their credibility undermined.
Greatest Fear:
- They are fighting a losing battle.
Must Avoid
- Righteous anger that may overtake their calm certainty.
Call to Action:
- Leave it alone!
Example Protector Thought Leaders:
- Lynne Twist, co-founder, Pachamama Alliance (See Chapter 1 of Ready to Be a Thought Leader?)
- John Muir, naturalist, early advocate for the preservation of the wilderness
- Greta Thunberg, Swedish environmental activist known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation
- Ukrainian President Zelensky, advocating for global sanctions and military support against the Russian invasion
(c) 2022 Thought Leadership Lab
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