Positive Intelligence is one way we can verify the state of our mental fitness. It’s vital for your success as an upcoming or current leader and without a proper guide, improving your positive intelligence can be challenging to say the least.
So, what exactly is Positive Intelligence?
In simple terms, it’s a tactic to control the thoughts roaming your mind. It’s the ability to corral your brain towards the thoughts that aid in your development, while moving you away from the thoughts that are attempting to sabotage you.
Why is this important for leaders exactly?
Well, when was the last time you had to make an important decision under pressure? Or maybe you were struggling with some challenging internal thoughts but had to push through to finish an important project on time. Was it your best work?
It’s extremely difficult to put your best foot forward when your mind is constantly trying to sabotage you by telling you things like you’re not good enough, you’re not doing it right, other people know you’re a fraud etc.
Since Positive Intelligence is such an important topic in the field of mental fitness, this blog is just part 1 of a 4-part series where we’ll look at the different channels of thought (positive channel vs. the negative channel), your saboteurs and how to manage them moving forward, and the judge, which can be the most challenging barrier you can face while enhancing your positive intelligence.
For now, let’s focus on the primary goal of positive intelligence and why it’s so important for you as a leader to focus your time and energy on developing yours.
Self-Sabotage
Did you know that nearly all your negative emotions are a result of self-sabotage?
How can we deal with thoughts that our mind is creating and manipulating to sabotage us?
You guessed it; the answer is Positive Intelligence. By understanding the main topics our mind uses to put us in a negative place we can develop strategies to better deal with them in the future.
The Goal of Positive Intelligence
The main reason we seek to enhance our positive intelligence is not so that we never have to deal with negative thoughts or emotions again. As someone who’s worked with many executives and leaders in the past, I can assure you that no matter how much you achieve, or how great your life is, negative feelings are a constant from the day you’re born until the day you pass on.
The goal of Positive Intelligence is to prepare you for the times when these feelings spike, and to have a plan in place to deal with them before they can impact your work, your relationships, or your life in general.
It’s also to be able to better identify the stories your mind tells you to put you in these negative places. What feelings do you regularly have to deal with and why are they coming up in the first place? Once you know what these are, it’s much easier to manage them.
If you’re interested in learning more about positive intelligence, I recommend you visit the official Positive Intelligence website and stay tuned for the next part in my blog series where we discuss the two channels of thought and focus on how you can reach the all-important “sage mode”.
About Phil Holberton
I’ve been coaching corporate executives like you to achieve peak performance for years. If you are interested in learning more about what I can offer, whether or not we’re a good fit, or what exactly you can gain by working with an executive coach, schedule a FREE 25-minute discovery call using this form.
