Stereotype to archetype: Why leaders need consciousness to rethink SL’s brand story

Michel Nugawela

Michel Nugawela, a specialist in consumer and corporate brand creation and revitalisation, will be one of the distinguished speakers at the CIMA Business Leaders’ Summit. At this year’s summit themed ‘Future Defined’, Nugawela will discuss how to integrate our ego and soul archetypes – the conscious and unconscious minds – in order to deliver truly transformational and regenerative leadership; that is both sustainable and change-capable in Sri Lanka. 

Nugawela argues that political and business leaders are increasingly called upon to reshape strategies, revitalise brands and restructure organisations and institutions. They are also called upon to remodel themselves and their senior leadership teams to meet new disruptions and challenges. According to Nugawela, the problem faced in Sri Lanka is that the Warrior archetype narrative has consumed the country politically and economically in the past decades.  

“Within the world of commerce, we have used a military hierarchical model to compete and establish brand leadership positions across categories and segments. We have also optimised our businesses for efficiency and predictability using traditional chains-of-command. Warrior CEOs and leaders, like good soldiers fighting in the frontlines, thrive on head-to-head competition by adopting largely defensive positions with tactical strategies to retain existing market share in existing markets,” explains Nugawela.

While the Warrior archetype enables us to compete, it does not empower change.  Since the end of the war, our home grown brands have neither created categories nor driven growth through new product and service innovations in Nugawela’s view. He scrutinises how best leaders can grapple with Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity – the subject matter of this year’s summit. “Today’s competitive environment calls for an integral consciousness that recognises the role of the conscious as well as the deeper unconscious mind. 

When leaders integrate their conscious and unconscious minds and master the multiple perspectives and skills of their different archetypes, they will be in a strong position to activate the Magician archetype – the part of their psyche that reframes perspectives and renames experiences to deliver transformational leadership in the face of deep change,” states Nugawela.

Nugawela has rebranded and repositioned many of Sri Lanka’s most renowned and respected brands, including Aitken Spence PLC, Hayleys PLC, Dipped Products PLC, Nations Trust Bank PLC, HNB Acuity, Heritance Hotels and Resorts, Lion Lager and Elephant House. With over 20 years of entrepreneurial expertise in senior level corporate consulting, he brings a formidable record of achievements in brand strategy, brand positioning, brand architecture and brand identity development.