In her study of history and anthropology, cultural historian Riane Eisler found that cultures tended to group themselves roughly around two attractor points, which she termed the “dominator model” and the “partnership model.” In the dominator model of social relations, the social structure is generally hierarchic and authoritarian, and maintained through fear and the hope of reward. Power is control-oriented, and “goodness” is often equated with compliance.
Conversely, in Partnership model of relations, social relationships are more egalitarian, including more sexually egalitarian. Each person has creative power and persons collaborating together generate a creative synergy, in which the sum is greater than the parts. In both cases, social structures both reflect and reinforce a dominator or Partnership model of relationships.
How does this relate to leadership? If we imagine that leadership entails vision, communication and strategy, we might observe that our personal orientation shapes each of these three elements:
- What is an appropriate and worthy vision for our organization?
- Is our communication with others monological or dialogical?
- What kind of organization and culture can best help us achieve our vision?
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