I currently facilitate about 5 to 7 debriefs on culture and personal leadership per week and have come to notice a couple of key trends around peoples thinking.

Orientation towards Self

The orientation towards self factor is about how we see ourselves and how we value ourselves.

For people of higher self-esteem this translates to seeking meaning, valuing our time, taking care of our health, having a clear sense of purpose, belief in our ability to succeed when we put in the effort, and a focus on what is important.

For people of low self-esteem this translates to high dependency on others, going through the motions, seeking comfort rather than challenge, making excuses, not looking after ourselves, and playing it safe.

Having a constructive orientation towards self is about being healthy, committed, focused and purposeful.

Orientation towards Others

The orientation towards others factor is about how we see others and whether we trust and value them.

For people of higher self-esteem this translates to us teaching and supporting others, but also wanting to learn from others, working together collaboratively, trusting others, empowering others, but also challenging others as we want to see them succeed and grow.

For people of low self-esteem this translates to finding faults, being critical, micro managing, being sceptical, and needing to control.

Having a constructive orientation towards others is about being supportive, encouraging, challenging, trusting and collaborative.