Applying the Women’s Leader Archetypes in Coaching Practices

Several years ago, I worked with a client I’ll call Amira. Brilliant, ambitious, and already a senior manager, she came to coaching because she was frustrated. Her team respected her competence, yet she struggled to inspire loyalty. “They’ll do the work,” she told me, “but I don’t think they’d follow me into battle.”

When we explored her Women’s Leader Archetype profile, it was no surprise: she was a strong Warrior. Fiercely goal-oriented, she thrived on challenge. But her focus on results meant she sometimes overlooked the relational side of leadership. Together, we worked on integrating qualities from the Tribe Builder - empathy, connection, and collaboration - so her drive was balanced by trust. Within months, her team dynamic shifted.

This is the power of the Women’s Leader Archetypes™ framework. It helps coaches see beneath the surface behaviours and uncover the stories that truly shape a woman’s leadership identity.

Archetypes as a Lens for Transformation When Coaching Women Leaders

As coaches, we know the importance of meeting clients where they are. Archetypes give us a map of where that “place” might be:

• The Sovereign, confident and visionary, who may withdraw into the Hermit shadow when self-doubt creeps in.

• The Warrior, ambitious and bold, whose drive can tip into the Tyrant shadow of over-control.

• The Wise Woman, insightful and influential, who may retreat into the Lone Wolf when unappreciated.

• The Tribe Builder, compassionate and connective, who risks slipping into the Martyr shadow when boundaries blur.

These archetypes aren’t boxes. They’re mirrors - reflecting both the brilliance and the blind spots of the women we coach.

How Archetypes Transform Women’s Leadership Coaching

One of my clients, a Sovereign, described feeling “too much” in male-dominated boardrooms. She was visionary, articulate, and decisive, yet the feedback she received was that she intimidated others. Together, we explored how her Sovereign confidence could be balanced with Wise Woman curiosity. Instead of pulling back (Hermit mode), she experimented with asking more questions. The result? She remained authoritative while creating more space for dialogue.

Another client, a Tribe Builder, loved being the glue that held her team together. But she was exhausted. In her words: “I feel like I’m carrying everyone.” Recognising the Martyr shadow allowed her to see that giving without boundaries wasn’t sustainable. Coaching helped her embrace Warrior energy - setting clear limits while still nurturing relationships.

In each case, the archetypes gave language to patterns that felt fuzzy and overwhelming. Once named, they became coachable.

Integrating Archetypes Into Coaching

As thought leaders in coaching, our role isn’t just to help clients reach their goals. It’s to help them reclaim the wholeness of who they are. Archetypes become a practical compass for this work:

1. Awareness – Naming the archetype gives clients a moment of recognition: “This is me.”

2. Acceptance – Realising both strength and shadow are part of the whole, not flaws to be erased.

3. Action – Creating strategies that amplify their empowered self while managing the shadow.

4. Integration – Encouraging clients to draw on qualities from all archetypes, building versatility and resilience.

Coaching Women Leaders Authentically: The Bigger Picture

In a world where women leaders are still scrutinised through a narrow lens, the Women’s Leader Archetypes™ framework offers something radical: permission to lead authentically. It validates the Sovereign’s right to hold power, the Warrior’s right to pursue ambition, the Wise Woman’s right to wield influence, and the Tribe Builder’s right to lead with compassion.

As coaches, when we use this framework, we’re not just guiding individual women. We’re contributing to a cultural shift where women can lead without apology, and where their archetypal strengths are celebrated rather than diminished.

Final Reflection: Leading Through Archetypes

Every coaching conversation is an opportunity to help a woman step more fully into her leadership story. Archetypes don’t give her a script - they give her a language. And once she speaks that language, she begins to write her own story differently.

That’s the invitation for us as coaches: to use the Women’s Leader Archetypes™ not as a diagnostic checkbox, but as a living, breathing framework for transformation.

Because when a woman recognises herself as Sovereign, Warrior, Wise Woman, or Tribe Builder - not just in strength, but in shadow - she doesn’t just grow. She leads.

✨ What would shift in your coaching if every client conversation began with the question: “Which archetype are you living into today?”

Book a discovery call with Ros here

Find out more about the Women's Leader Archetypes here