In our book Stratego for Women, we use Greek archetypes. The classification of these archetypes is based on Jungian theories, and Jean Shinoda Bolen has made a distinction between female and male archetypes. In this blog, I’ll focus on the female archetypes. In the near future, I will also write separate blogs on each goddess to make it even more practical and recognizable for you.

What are Archetypes?

There are many models focusing on specific behaviors, but generally, no distinction is made between male and female behavior. Bolen, however, has done this in her theoretical framework. I find this a very strong perspective because organizations are still predominantly masculine in their structure, and thus the behaviors of most male archetypes continue to be preferred.

In her books Gods in Everyman and Goddesses in Everywoman, Bolen describes seven archetypal goddesses and eight archetypal gods. Together, they form the complete human behavioral repertoire. An archetype represents a specific part of the human behavioral repertoire. When we talk about the Gods and Goddesses, we are referring to the Greek Gods and Goddesses.

In our book Stratego for Women, we focus primarily on behaviors encountered in the workplace. This means we have chosen 5 Gods, the male archetypes, and 6 Goddesses, the female archetypes.

What Archetypes Are There? And What Are Their Characteristics and Pitfalls?

In this blog, I focus on the female archetypes. This doesn’t mean that as a woman you can’t embody qualities of the male archetypes, and vice versa. Here is a quick overview of the goddesses. I’m sure you will quickly recognize some traits in yourself.

1. Athena

Athena is also known as the career woman. She is focused on advancing her career and knows how to achieve her goals. With her pragmatic approach, she has no problem applying unwritten rules and playing the game with men. She often dresses in a business-like manner and doesn’t concern herself much with others’ opinions of her.

Characteristics: a. Strategic b. Businesslike c. Pragmatic d. Goal-oriented e. Rational

Pitfalls: a. Distant b. Dominant c. Nicknamed “Bitch”

2. Artemis

Artemis resembles Athena but is more headstrong. She is also independent, though sometimes to an extreme. Artemis wants to win every battle, while Athena wins the war. Artemis is intuitive and spontaneous. She stands her ground and doesn’t shy away from conflicts. Like Athena, Artemis forms alliances, but more often with women than with men.

Characteristics: a. Tough b. Independent c. Often idealistic d. Headstrong e. Honest and open

Pitfalls: a. Disregards hierarchy b. Blunt c. “My way or the highway”

3. Hestia

Hestia, like Artemis and Athena, is an independent goddess. Her independence is focused on knowledge. She consciously chooses not to be in the spotlight. You can trust her and her work implicitly. She is confident and exudes calm. Her intuition is highly developed, and she often reflects on who she is and what she does.

Characteristics: a. Calm b. Content-focused c. Loyal d. Conscientious e. Intuitive

Pitfalls: a. Invisible b. Perfectionistic c. Detail-oriented

4. Demeter

Demeter, like Persephone, is a more dependent goddess. Both represent the idea of connection. Demeter does this by caring for others. She is the colleague everyone likes. She is curious about how you are doing and shows a lot of personal interest. You could say Demeter has a strong maternal instinct.

Characteristics: a. Caring b. Friendly c. Team-oriented d. Enthusiastic e. Social

Pitfalls: a. Can’t say no b. Struggles with receiving criticism c. Overbearing

5. Persephone

Persephone is the girl we all have within us but often keep hidden. Her strength lies in asking questions without judgment. Do you have young children? Then you must recognize Persephone in their endless curiosity. She lightens up situations and has a disarming effect on everyone. Especially when things are stuck, she can ask or say something that makes everyone see things differently.

Characteristics: a. Asks many questions b. Light-hearted c. Flexible d. Non-judgmental e. Humorous

Pitfalls: a. Naive b. Not taken seriously c. Capricious

6. Aphrodite

Aphrodite is the seductress within us. Yes, you read that right—the seductress. She is feminine, attractive, and can even be sensual. In the separate blog on Aphrodite, I will delve much deeper into this. She also likes to be in the spotlight. Sometimes, she has an almost enchanting effect on others. Additionally, she is creative, impulsive, and enjoys variety.

Characteristics: a. Seductive b. Creative c. Complimenting d. Passionate e. Enthusiastic

Pitfalls: a. Attention-seeking b. Quickly bored c. Lots of fluff, little substance

I’m curious where you recognize yourself. Often, you unconsciously embody multiple archetypes, but if I were to ask you which one is most dominant at work, which would that be for you? Personally, I am also a mix of different archetypes, but if I had to choose, Artemis would be my most dominant goddess. Artemis is also the one who has no interest in playing the organizational game and ultimately decides to start her own venture. My mission is to make the world a much better place for everyone by encouraging women to use their influence. So yes, I definitely have my ideal as well.

Fortunately, I also have a strong Athena in me, which I probably developed early on due to growing up with four brothers. Later, I also chose a technical education.

The only goddess I have less developed is Aphrodite. I know she is effective, and I can use her if needed, but I prefer not to.

What Can You Gain from This Knowledge for Yourself and Others?

I think it’s becoming clearer what you can do with these goddesses. You can use them consciously. By this, I mean: You set your goal, decide with whom you will discuss this goal, and think beforehand about which goddess or combination of goddesses you will use to achieve it.

Sometimes it’s important to give someone a compliment before diving into the content. In that case, you initially present your Aphrodite. Or you have a conversation with someone who prefers concise formulations. Then Athena comes into play. At another time, you might discuss someone’s ideals, and then you use not only the interested Demeter but also your idealistic Artemis.

In another blog, I will also discuss in detail the interplay between the different gods and goddesses so that you can incorporate this into your preparation.

How Do These Archetypes Influence Behavior and Choices?

I often hear women say, “They just have to take me as I am.” This is often the statement of the Artemis archetype. You know what? You are always who you are. The only advice I have is to play with your behavioral repertoire. Think ahead about how you will approach someone, what they are sensitive to, and which goddess you will employ for this.