Children are terrified of her, and adults feel their own kind of fear as she removes her mask to reveal her hideous face. The Grand High Witch, created by Roald Dahl in his book The Witches, is an interesting kind of baddie, because some would say she doesn’t grow, or change, or learn anything. She’s just plain mean. Let’s explore this villain more closely.
True leadership?
As an influential and powerful sorceress, the Grand High Witch wields her power mercilessly. She kills fellow witches in the blink of an eye, just to prove that she can, and to keep them afraid of her. Evil, petty, vain, and dismissive, she strikes fear into the hearts of her followers.
A mighty small enemy
What does the Grand High Witch hate more than anything in the world? Children. And now, she plots to kill all the children in England in one go. She gathers her followers at a hotel, and tells them that she intends to poison every child with a mouse-maker potion, so they’ll be eradicated. But perhaps even more terrifying, is when she removes her mask, transforming from glamorous and beautiful, into a grotesque and repulsive monster.
Double, double, toil and trouble…
But what is her ultimate vision; her purpose? Can we really call the Grand High Witch a leader, when she rules through fear? She reminds me of an angry manager, using totalitarian authority to impose her vision on her team. So, what might happen if she had some coaching? Would she still be quite so evil?
Grand high coaching
Her limiting beliefs about children require interrogation:
- What makes them a problem?
- What would life be like if you responded to them differently?
- What’s the real issue here?
- How do you know that belief to be true?
- What’s happening that tells you that?
- What are you ignoring?
I believe that everyone has the ability to meet the challenge of change. Sometimes, though, there is an anger inside us. Depending on the intensity and acknowledgement of this anger, it either serves us or it disempowers us. When an old and personal anger goes unmanaged, it can manifest in curious ways, like using fear as a management tool.
Through coaching, the Grand High Witch would learn that she can meet the challenge of change, and take fulfilling directions at any moment in her life. It’s a question of choice. We all have the option to choose the thing that serves us, and the people around us.
And as for her mask? “Wabi Sabi” is a Japanese concept, teaching that the search for outside beauty can empower or disempower us. And the Grand High Witch’s constant search for outer beauty is a sign of disempowerment. Once she understands that, her potential for leadership may well prove to be truly limitless.
Your call
Which character from popular fiction do you think could benefit from coaching?
About the author
I’m Dorothée Oung, Neuroleader and coach to leading practitioners, motivational speakers, trainers, facilitators, coaches, and fellow leaders. My goal is to guide soon-to-be Neuroleaders through deliberate practices to achieve their professional goals.
