Positive Intelligence

In Short

Identify saboteurs and build mental fitness for sustained performance
Best for: Shirzad Chamine's PQ model (slides + chapters 1-8)
Positive Intelligence is a structured tool for coaching and facilitation. Identify saboteurs and build mental fitness for sustained performance. It provides a repeatable framework that can be adapted to individual, team, and leadership development contexts.
Type of tool: Shirzad Chamine's PQ model (slides + chapters 1-8)
Expected outcomes:
- Improved ability to identify saboteurs and build mental fitness for sustained performance
- A concrete action or development plan to take forward from the Positive Intelligence process

In Detail

Positive Intelligence is a structured framework designed to help coaches, leaders, and facilitators identify saboteurs and build mental fitness for sustained performance. It sits within the category of Shirzad Chamine's PQ model (slides + chapters 1-8), making it particularly useful for practitioners working on capability development, team performance, and individual growth in organisational settings.

In practice, Positive Intelligence is delivered as a 5-step process. The process begins by introduce the two operating systems: Sage (5 Sage Powers: Empathise, Explore, Innovate, Navigate, Activate) vs Saboteur. The session closes by complete the 6-week PQ Mental Fitness Program if doing the full programme. The structured approach ensures that participants move through a consistent experience while leaving room for the facilitator to adapt pacing and depth to the group's needs.

Positive Intelligence provides a shared vocabulary that persists beyond the session itself. When team members reference the same model in day-to-day work, coaching outcomes become embedded in practice rather than remaining as isolated insights from a single workshop.

How to Use

Based on Shirzad Chamine's Positive Intelligence. 1. Introduce the two operating systems: Sage (5 Sage Powers: Empathise, Explore, Innovate, Navigate, Activate) vs Saboteur (10 inner critics: Judge, Controller, Avoider, Hyper-Achiever, etc.). 2. Participants complete the Saboteur Assessment online at positiveintelligence.com. 3. Identify the top 2-3 saboteurs. 4. Practice the PQ Rep (10-second mindfulness practice) to activate Sage brain. 5. Complete the 6-week PQ Mental Fitness Program if doing the full programme.

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Provides a shared vocabulary that persists after the session and supports ongoing conversations Structured approach ensures consistent application across different cohorts and contexts Directly addresses the challenge of identify saboteurs and build mental fitness for sustained performance through a proven conceptual structure	Risk of over-applying the model — not all situations fit neatly into any single framework Conceptual frameworks require skilled facilitation to connect theory to participants' actual work Some models have limited research evidence; practitioners should be transparent about this

Created by Shirzad Chamine

When to Use

This tool is suited to the following coaching and facilitation contexts:

Context	Relevant
Individual Coaching	✓
Team Coaching
Leadership Development
Facilitation / Workshop
Online / Virtual	✓

connecteddale