Are You a Bad Leader? You're Probably Missing This One Critical Skill

While others procrastinate, delay, overthink and face analysis paralysis, leaders use their creative energy and emotional authority to jump right in. They learn from experience and trial and error. 

Not everyone is born a manifestor child or has that manifestor aura, but that’s ok - this approach to life isn’t for everyone. We all live our own lives, and the world’s population has a diversity of different energy types within the Human Design system. 

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This system, which was created during an intense eight-day period by a man named Ra Uru Hu, is a comprehensive map of human behavior. A pure manifestor strategy is the type of person that will take the lead in life with a “just do it” approach.

Human design is an ambitious and creative channeling of the interior of the self, and identifies four key energy types. They are: 

• Generators
• Manifestors
• Projectors
• Reflectors 

Ideally, each of these energy types works in harmony to harness their individual skills and gifts for the greater good of humanity.

Human Design Generators are the engines of change, Human Design Projectors are the seers and the guides, and Human Design Reflectors are able to clearly assess and give feedback to make sure others are on the right track. And Manifestors? They’re the type to just do it. Most manifestors are those that raise their hand first. Almost all the manifestors I know are trendsetters. They push the first domino and get momentum building.

This article will present a clear overview of the qualities of a Manifestor, and shine a light on how to find alignment and how to know when you’re off track, along with powerful tips.

So whether you’re a Manifestor, or you are working with or in a relationship with a Manifestor, this article will equip you with all the knowledge you need to know to move in the right direction.

What is a Manifestor in Human Design?  

According to Ra Uru Hu, Manifestors represent around 10 percent of the population, in comparison to Generators (67 percent), Projectors (25 percent), and Reflectors (1 percent). 

Manifestors are often misunderstood. Their role and aura can, occasionally, rub people up the wrong way or be perceived as arrogant or selfish (sometimes referred to as a “repelling aura”). That’s partly because unlike other energy types, they have the power of initiation.

Within the Human Design BodyGraph, Manifestors are “pure energy” beings, in that they have a clear channel from one of the motor centers to the throat center, although they don’t have the sacral center defined in the way that Generators do. Their closely-related type, Manifesting Generators, deviates by having the sacral center defined.

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The biggest trait of Manifestors is that they often have to make things happen for themselves. They don’t have to wait. In that sense, they’re the opposite of Projectors, who wait for an invitation. 

Manifestors operate the best when they become highly tuned to an instinctive “pull” to act, without overthinking or questioning. To others, this rapid decision-making can appear impulsive or erratic, although it’s not always the case. 

For a Manifestor, Human Design theory teaches that they are often self-sustainable and independent in their decision-making and choices. Due to their defined throat center, Manifestors contain a lot of power in their word and their expression. 

By communicating clearly, Manifestors have a significant impact and influence. A defined throat center is also a key component of a manifestor strategy, which we’ll explore briefly. 

What Is the Human Design Manifestor?

The gift of Human Design is that it doesn’t only provide a map to help with self-understanding; it offers a practical system to maximize potential in accordance with your true nature. Aligning this way is the equivalent of flow or ease, where life becomes more harmonious and in-tune. 

As Joseph Campbell said, “The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.” Human Design succeeds in offering an approach that makes alignment practical — according to growing numbers of followers. But that doesn’t make Human Design a cult or religion. Ra Uru Hu was always careful to note that the system is an experiment for each individual.

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The Human Design system breaks down each energy type into distinct categories: Aura, Not-Self theme, Signature, and Strategy. This is where the magic happens. 

Understanding each of these qualities essentially offers a blueprint on how to live in a way that feels most natural. So if you’re a Manifestor, pay close attention to the specifics below.

The Manifestor Aura, Explained

In spiritual circles, an aura is essentially an energetic imprint, like a fingerprint, that extends outside of the body by six feet. Auras are detectable by others, even if not obvious. They’re very much based on non-verbal communication, sometimes just a sensed “vibe” that you can’t quite pinpoint. The ability to energetically “read” someone, and sense if they have positive or negative energy, seems to be intuitive to us all.

Auras play an important role in Human Design. Not only do they give an indication of what your essence is, they allow you to better understand how others perceive you. Manifestors have the most difficult aura to work with as it’s closed and repelling. Doesn’t sound great, does it? It doesn’t seem fair that there’s a system that implies your core quality repels other people! But there’s a reason for this.

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Again, it comes back to Manifestors essentially being in control of their own destiny. Within the system, they’re the only energy type that can do this. When other energy types are in contact with this Manifestor energy, it can feel intimidating, especially being in the presence of someone who is able to lead and take action before asking for permission.

In fact, the Manifestor’s aura is a self-protection mechanism. Repelling others is a necessity when being led by an internal compass. Think of it like a psychic immune system that filters people without having to make a conscious decision. 

Manifestors are unique in that their aura can actually push away the aura of others. Ra Uru Hu himself was a Manifestor, and you can imagine how vital it was for him to push away skepticism and judgment when presenting Human Design to the world.

What Is the 'Not-Self Theme' And How Can It Make You a Better Leader?

In Human Design, the Not-Self theme acts as an emotional message system for when not acting in alignment. Every energy type has a different theme, and it pays to cultivate self-awareness to detect when the Not-Self theme is present, and know that it’s time to adjust. For Manifestors, the Not-Self theme is anger. Things start to piece together when you consider this can manifest as rebellion or passive aggression.

These traits are connected to the emotional Manifestor life approach. Rebellion comes in when a Manifestor feels angry that people are getting in the way, or they’re being told what to do in a way that contradicts that inner instinct to act. On the other hand, if a Manifestor decides to agree to conform to others’ desires when it’s not in their interest, they’re likely to come across as cynical or reluctant.

The Not-Self Theme and the Signature: How to Find Peace in Leadership

When completely aligned, the signature is unique to each energy type, coming from deep within. If the Not-Self theme is a warning alarm, the Signature is a green light, an indication that everything is in the right place. For Manifestors, this is peace. Which makes sense, considering all the strife and resistance Manifestor can encounter when just trying to live life on their terms.

More than other energy types, the sooner Manifestors live in accordance with their strategy, the easier their life will be. Unfortunately, due to ignorance around these metaphysical principles, lots of Manifestor children grow up being told off, punished, or restrained by people in their life who don’t understand their nature.

It’s understandable why parents of Manifestor children can be concerned if their child is taking initiative and exploring the world on their own terms. According to Ra Uru Hu, Manifestor children can radically shift the quality of their upbringing if they have parents who know how to teach them the best way to integrate their spontaneous, impulsive side.

What Is the Strategy for Leadership in Human Design?

That teaching comes from the Strategy. In Human Design, a Strategy is simply an approach to living that makes everything run smoothly. It’s not a hard and fast rule. Think of it like the fuel you put in a car in order to give it the energy to move from A to B — some require petrol, some diesel, some electricity. A strategy is required to get things moving, with ease.

Manifestors strategy is to inform. It’s as simple as that. If your impulse is taking you in a certain direction, let people around you know what you intend to do. That way, you alleviate any fears or suspicions of spontaneity, giving you extra freedom to move in the direction of your choosing. This is independent of any choices and doesn’t mean asking for permission; the Manifestor will still choose the course of action that feels right.

Tips for Human Design Manifestors

If this is your first rodeo of exploring the Manifestor energy type, you might be overwhelmed by all the information on offer. Feel free to preview, post, comment below if that is how you feel. Indeed, this is only the tip of the iceberg, and if you’ve followed your gut to this article and you’re new to the Human Design System, it’s worth the time to keep exploring. 

For now, below are some foundational tips that’ll start your adjustment into greater alignment.

Why You Should NOT Be a People Pleaser

There are a lot of people-pleasers. Generally, it’s a practice that can breed resentment, stifle authenticity, and prevent you from living a life on your terms. It’s obvious why there’s value in anyone working on people-pleasing tendencies, but even more valuable for Manifestors. Because Manifestors often grow up in the face of resistance or judgment of others, it’s easy to become sensitive to guilt and over-reliance on other people’s views.

Remember, you’re here to live life on your terms. Guilt isn't the truth. Although it’s a huge challenge to accept that in life, you will upset people, even those you love, it’s also incredibly liberating.

How to Work as a Leader with Anger

No other emotion has so much baggage attached to it like anger. Learning not only to respect it but to be guided by and informed by it, is a difficult task. Hopefully, the knowledge alone that anger is justified and part of your energy type will allow you to approach it differently. Always try to view bursts of anger as an extension of your creative life force, and not something that is inherently wrong.

It pays to look into patterns around anger, too. Perhaps you notice your anger tends to be more rebellious, or more complicit. Either way, start getting a clear idea of the “inventory” of anger, and what it can teach you about your approach.

Become a Better Leader by Tuning into Your Instincts

An ethos of Human Design is to undo conditioning in order to live authentically. Part of this process is connecting to the body and its innate intelligence. Growing up, it’s likely you will have adjusted your behavior to avoid certain “punishments,” such as being told off by your parents or teachers or upsetting people by wanting to follow your own path. Over time, this can lead to a disconnect from instincts.

As you grow and mature, you’ll reach a point where it becomes apparent that the mechanism can be trusted, and that the harsh reactions in others weren’t your responsibility. Part of tuning into instinct is paying attention to what happens immediately after an instinct. For example, you might have an instinctive pull to visit a certain country or attend an event. That’s the message. 

However, you might have developed a habit of talking yourself out of things in response to deeper instincts. As a result, part of the practice is noticing what stories you tell yourself, and starting acting more instinctively. That said, keeping your strategy in mind is vital.

Leadership Tips: Slow down and Inform

The practice of informing isn’t straightforward as a Manifestor. It’s not as straightforward as telling it like it is. This is due to a number of reasons. 

Firstly, the desire to act and initiate can come on in an instant, feel incredibly enlivening and energetic. It takes self-awareness and grounding in those situations, to take the time to inform. Informing requires slowing down, and knowing who and how to inform intelligently.

There will likely be resistance to informing, especially if you experience a lot of guilt and people-pleasing. Remember that you aren’t looking for permission. Don’t disempower yourself by seeing others as “gatekeepers” to what you choose to do. Instead, see informing as a duty or an act of integrity.

Why Is Being a 'Manifestor' So Important in Human Leadership?

All energy types in Human Design have their unique challenges and gifts, and Manifestors are no different. Having read this article, hopefully, you feel informed and inspired to “follow your bliss” and be your own leader. That doesn’t mean dismissing others or acting selfishly; after all, we’re all connected and working together.

By learning how to inform others of your actions as you deepen your connection to instincts, you’ll start to experience more flow, more fun, and more sense of control over your life. If there’s anyone primed to manifest a life they truly want to live, without asking permission, it’s a Manifestor. 

It begins by reconnecting to your inner authority, taking action, and leading by example. 

If you don’t, no one else will.