Qin terracotta warrior
This autumn the Historical Museum in Bern, Switzerland, is featuring a special exhibition of the Qin army of terracotta soldiers from 200 B.C. On loan from the site in Xi’an, China – where more than 7000 specimens of battle warriors, cavalry animals and even civic leaders – were many life-size figures that could not fail to impress museum goers.
Expectations were high for this museum goer as I’ve waited about three decades to view the archeological treasure. My hometown Kansas City, Missouri, became a sister city of Xi’an in the 1980s; and as a journalist at the time, I had the opportunity to meet Xi’an dignitaries and hear about the recent find by a farmer in his field.
Finally seeing the terracotta figures in real life did not disappoint at all. No two terracotta figures were alike, but one in particular captured my imagination and seemed to be appropriate to discuss on a thought leadership website.
The 1800-year-old figure of an army commander stood taller than several of the other soldiers and struck a pose that was timeless. His piercing eyes and set jaw showed steely determination to reach his goal. As a leader, he seemed calm and confident that his orders would be obeyed.
Those views were shared by several others standing in front of him and admiring his ageless power. Evidence for those assumptions came simply from the pose of his hands. With one hand supposedly gesturing ‘’settle down’’ and the other hand with one pointing finger, the commander was leading his army in a certain direction in a subtle but unmistakable way.
As a thought leader, are you known for your steely, stony determination to lead in a calm manner? Are even your subtlest gestures sufficient to signal a new direction for your troops – or your industry – to follow? Ask, assess, then act. We’re here to help!