Witchcraft and Leadership

The very wise Robyn Scott recently introduced me to the term "philosopher-practitioner". As I read about it, it reminded me of the Witches characters by one of my favorite authors, Sir Terry Pratchett.

A "philosopher-practitioner" is someone who actively engages in both deep theoretical thinking (philosophy) and practical application (practice) within their field. It describes individuals who blend conceptual rigor with real-world action, ensuring that their work is both intellectually grounded and practically impactful.

It is this idea of thriving in the "in-between space" at the intersection of thought and action that reminded me of Sir Terry's stories, and lead to an interesting reflection on progress and leadership in our complex world.

His witches, particularly Granny Weatherwax, operate in the edges and in-between spaces of existence, embodying a philosophy that is deeply practical, ethically nuanced, and fundamentally about maintaining balance rather than controlling outcomes.

1. The Edges: Between the Ordinary and the Extraordinary

The witches of the Discworld live at the margins of society—literally and metaphorically. They dwell in remote villages, on the fringes of forests, and at the borders of human understanding, embodying liminality. Unlike wizards, who seek power through knowledge, witches seek wisdom through understanding.

• Granny Weatherwax, in particular, thrives in the gray areas where rigid moral binaries fail. She does what is necessary, not what is easy, and often acknowledges that the "right" action isn't always clean or obvious.

• Example: In Witches Abroad, she refuses to be a "good fairy godmother" because forcing people into predetermined "happy endings" is just another form of tyranny. She recognizes that true choice—no matter how messy—is more important than imposed happiness.

2. The In-Between: Mediating Between Worlds

Witches function as bridges between conflicting realities:

• Life and Death (they midwife both birth and death).

• Civilization and the Wild (they keep balance between nature and human ambition).

• Magic and Common Sense (they use magic sparingly, often relying more on “headology” than spells).

• Example: In Lords and Ladies, Granny Weatherwax faces the Elves, creatures of pure glamour and selfish cruelty, who exist outside morality as humans understand it. She stands at the threshold between human will and fae chaos, ensuring that the two do not overlap in destructive ways.

3. The Role of a Witch: Guarding the Thresholds

A witch’s duty is not to rule but to watch. They do not demand gratitude or obedience; they simply ensure that things do not tip too far in any one direction.

• They are guardians, not rulers. They work unseen, making sure the world functions without needing credit for it.

• They understand that too much of anything—order, chaos, kindness, cruelty—can be dangerous.

• Example: In Carpe Jugulum, Granny refuses to be drawn into a traditional hero-villain battle with the vampires. Instead of overpowering them, she lets them defeat themselves by forcing them into the one space they cannot survive—a world where people think for themselves.

4. Why This Resonates Beyond Fantasy

Pratchett's witches reflect real-world liminality - the idea that true leadership and wisdom come not from seizing power but from understanding where to stand. Many of the world’s most profound change-makers work at the edges of systems, between disciplines, across cultural and ideological boundaries, ensuring that the world does not become too rigid, too controlled, or too chaotic.

This mirrors the philosopher-practitioner mindset - existing in the spaces between theory and action, between what is and what could be, between structure and adaptation. Like Pratchett’s witches, philosopher-practitioners do not impose a singular vision but instead navigate the complexities of reality, ensuring that systems function, people have space to act, and balance is maintained in ways that cannot always be quantified.

Final Thought: Being a Witch (or a Philosopher-Practitioner) can be Lonely but is a Necessary Role

Like Granny Weatherwax, those who work in the in-between spaces know that their job is not to be the hero, but to make sure the story keeps going in a way that allows people to be free.

* To write this article I captured the base text using a combination of writing and dictation/transcription. I then used an LLM to assist with formatting and editing.

** This article is a cross-post from LinkedIn