GNT #148: Meet the saboteurs running your week

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read time: 2 minutes

A while back, during a session with my empowerment coach, Kate, she asked me a question that made me realize I had some more exploring to do.

“Who’s actually steering the ship right now? You, or your saboteur?”

My saboteur?

At first, I laughed it off.

Then she explained something that clicked immediately.

We all have internal patterns. These are habits of thinking, reacting, or overreacting that quietly run the show. Positive Intelligence calls them Saboteurs. They are the automatic thoughts that create stress, urgency, people-pleasing, perfectionism, self-doubt, and those subtle moments where you make things harder than they need to be.

As a leader or entrepreneur, these patterns often disguise themselves as being responsible or helpful or driven. But when the pressure rises, they turn into overcommitting, overthinking, avoiding hard conversations, or carrying too much.

When she recommended I take the Positive Intelligence Saboteur Assessment, it was the first time I could see which patterns were driving my week and how they were shaping my work, relationships, energy, and decisions.

Seeing my results on the page felt like someone had held up a mirror.
(Especially the Pleaser and Hyper-Achiever. No surprise there.)

Here is a simple way to get started.

Start here: Identify your saboteurs

The simplest way to understand which patterns are running your week is to take the Positive Intelligence Saboteur Assessment. It is quick and surprisingly accurate.

https://www.positiveintelligence.com/saboteurs

When you get your results, look at the top one or two. Those are the patterns that influence most of your reactions and decisions.

Notice when they show up

For the next 48 hours, pay attention to small moments like:

• feeling a sudden urgency
• overthinking something simple
• saying yes too fast
• rewriting a message over and over
• avoiding a conversation
• carrying more than is yours

That is usually a saboteur surfacing.

You do not need to fix anything. Just notice it. Awareness is the first shift.
 

Make one small adjustment

Once you catch the pattern, give yourself a beat.

Then choose the smallest version of a healthier response.

Examples:

• Instead of an automatic yes → “Let me check my week.”
• Instead of fixing everything → ask a clarifying question.
• Instead of over-polishing → send the clean version.
• Instead of powering through → take a three-minute reset.

Small, consistent adjustments change the pattern faster than force or trying to “fix” yourself.
 

Why this helps leaders

Saboteurs influence more than your mood. They shape how you lead.

How you set boundaries, make decisions, collaborate, and navigate pressure.

When you know which patterns are active, you move from reaction to intention. You become clearer, calmer, and more effective.

You stop wasting energy fighting yourself and start using it where it matters.

Takeaway

Your saboteurs aren’t signs that something is wrong with you.

They are simply patterns you learned along the way.

Once you can see them clearly, you shift into a way of leading that feels calmer, clearer, and more aligned with who you want to be.


I'm always rooting for you. See you next week.

-Colleen

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