GUEST AUTHOR BLOG: Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Us Achieve Our True Potential by Shirzad Chamine, author of "Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential AND HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOURS."

In my Stanford lectures on Positive Intelligence I show that invisible Saboteurs in our minds are constantly undermining us.

There are 10 of these sneaky characters with names like Judge, Controller, Stickler, Victim, Avoider, and Pleaser. Remarkably, 95% of the executives in the Stanford program conclude that one or more of these Saboteurs cause significant harm to their ability to reach their full potential for success and personal fulfillment.

How do you think you or people on your team are faring?

Through a synthesis of the latest research in both positive and cognitive psychology and neuroscience, we are now able to measure what percentage of time your mind is serving you as opposed to sabotaging you. The result is your Positive Intelligence score or PQ.

The numbers are compelling: With improved PQ, professionals ranging from leaders to salespeople perform 30-35% better on average. Even more importantly, they report being far happier and less stressed.

The critical number to watch is the PQ score of 75, meaning your mind is serving you 75% of the time and sabotaging you 25%. Research has revealed this to be a critical tipping point score with enormous consequences. Peak performance and consistent peace of mind are only possible above 75. Only 20% of teams and individuals score that high. How do you think you would score?

The counterpart to your Saboteur is your Sage voice. Your Sage has access to your deeper wisdom, creativity, compassion, and clear-headed thinking. This voice is literally produced by a different region of your brain than the one fueling your Saboteurs. We are literally and neurochemically of two minds and two brains. This gives rise to 3 strategies for improving your PQ: weaken your Saboteurs, strengthen your Sage, or strengthen your PQ Brain muscles.

1. Weaken your Saboteurs: The most dangerous enemy is the invisible one, and most Saboteurs hide extremely well or masquerade as your friend. For example, the Judge Saboteur convinces you that unless it constantly beats you up over your mistakes and shortcomings, you wont improve and grow. The Controller convinces you that unless you control peoples actions, you wont get the desired outcome. You can click here for a free 5-minute online assessment to identify and expose your top Saboteur.

Shirzad ChamineAuthor, "Positive Intelligence"

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Stop Sabotaging Your Own Success - Learn How by Using 'Positive Intelligence'