What

“Type of Mindset” do you have?

Our mindset and thoughts characterize who we are and they help shape our lives. How you think
determines how you perceive reality and relates to others, as well as how you solve problems,
manage stress and make decisions. Thus, how you live your life is directly related to the quality of
your thoughts. Research on the human mindset identifies three key areas in the following
framework;

- constructive thinking styles,
- passive / defensive thinking styles (flight), and
- aggressive / defensive thinking styles (fight).

The more time you spend triggered into a passive / defensive or aggressive / defensive mindset, the
greater the impacts on your, stress, mental health, relationships and overall leadership effectiveness.
Remember, mindset mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her
own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is
able to make a contribution to his or her family, friendship circles, work, and community.

Pending your underlying thinking styles and motivations, your behaviour may direct you into one of
the six following mindset groupings. Review the boxes below to read a more in-depth definition.

1. Constructive Mindset
Keywords that describe constructive mindset:
Self enhancing, doing good, proactive and interactive, managing uncertainty, optimistic,
sustainability, effective and success.

A constructive mindset is one within which people are encouraged to collaborate and connect with
others, as well as approach their life, in ways that are conducive to them meeting their higher-order
human needs. A person with this mindset orientation can possesses a combination of strengths,
namely goal accomplishment, a strong sense of personal direction and the capacity to derive
enjoyment and satisfaction from what they do. They are proficient at both interpersonal skills and
the ability to accomplish tasks efficiently. They derive personal satisfaction from their maximum
commitment to both the task at hand and the individuals involved.

2. Aggressive /Defensive Mindset

Keywords that describe an aggressive / defensive mindset:
Self promoting, looking good, reactive encounter active, seeking risk, anxiety, volatility, ineffective and
successful.

In an aggressive / defensive mindset people are approaching life in forceful ways to protect their
status and security. A person with this mindset orientation can have a strong desire to be the one
running things. They invest a disproportionate amount of energy in attempting to control situations
and people - when they’re not in control, they’re not comfortable. Their needs for power, prestige,
status, influence, and control could come from an intolerance for weakness in others or themselves.


3. Passive /Defensive Mindset
Keywords that describe a passive / defensive mindset:
Self-protecting, being good, reactive and inactive, avoiding risk, depression, immobility, ineffective and
unsuccessful.

In a passive / defensive mindset people are interacting with people in self-protective ways that will
not threaten their own security. A person with this mindset orientation is most concerned with
ensuring that others approve of them, which they typically achieve by conforming, following the
rules and assuming a passive stance. They try to live up to others’ expectations to gain approval in
order to sustain their feelings of self worth. The down side to this position is that when approval
from others is not forthcoming, they are likely to undervalue their own worth.

4. Constructive + Aggressive /Defensive

Keywords that describe an constructive + an aggressive / defensive mindset:
Self enhancing, doing good, proactive and interactive, managing uncertainty, optimistic, sustainability,
effective and success.
Self promoting, looking good, reactive encounter active, seeking risk, anxiety, volatility, ineffective and
successful.

A person with this set of mindset orientations are concerned with performing well, possibly in order
to gain recognition from others, or perhaps to elevate their status. They prefer to be in a leadership
role as they are not comfortable or helpful in the role of a follower. They may be inclined to
overvalue control, perhaps to the point where they are perceived as too aggressive and unwilling to
empower others.

5. Constructive + Passive /Defensive

Keywords that describe an constructive + an passive / defensive mindset:
Self enhancing, doing good, proactive and interactive, managing uncertainty, optimistic, sustainability,
effective and success.
Self protecting, being good, reactive and inactive, avoiding risk, depression, immobility, ineffective and
unsuccessful.

A person with this set of mindset orientations can find the greatest comfort working collaboratively
with others. Their focus is on the care and betterment of people. This orientation has both strengths
and weaknesses. Some people are likely to accept them easily because of their agreeable nature.
However, people who know them superficially, are likely to perceive them as weak.

6. Aggressive /Defensive + Passive /Defensive

Keywords that describe an aggressive / defensive and passive / defensive mindset:
Self promoting, looking good, reactive encounter active, seeking risk, anxiety, volatility, ineffective and
successful.
Self protecting, being good, reactive and inactive, avoiding risk, depression, immobility, ineffective and
unsuccessful.

A person with this set of mindset orientations can seems to be overwhelmed by a sense of
helplessness. They have been feeling angry about something for quite sometime. On the one hand,
they have strong dependency needs: their feelings of self worth appear to be tied to acceptance and
approval by others. While on the other hand, they express an equally strong need to control and
direct others.