Positive Intelligence, aka PQ, focuses on identifying and overcoming internal ‘saboteurs’ – so-called negative thought patterns that can interfere with success and wellbeing.
While this model resonates with many, it also presents critical limitations, particularly for individuals with histories of trauma, chronic stress, or unresolved inner conflict, and why real growth requires more than positivity.
A couple of months back, I was offered an opportunity to be a guest on a podcast called The Daily Path.
It was my first ‘real’ podcast and we got the chance to speak about: what brought me to coaching as a profession — the work of Values Coaching — and what one of my biggest obstacles has been in business.
Self Leadership is the lifelong practice of returning leadership to your Authentic Self — building the awareness, trust, and safety needed to move beyond protection-organized patterns, reclaim your natural capacities, and live in alignment with your deepest values even under pressure.
It is not self-management. It is not productivity optimization, emotional control, or disciplining yourself into better habits. Self Leadership asks a different question entirely:
Who is actually leading within you?