How can I work better with my boss?

Driven by a desire for success, Type 3s are energetic, ambitious, and competent.

If your boss is:

• good at reading people’s body language

• a workaholic to some extent

• generally avoids expressing their emotions

• good at charming a group

• lets relationships take a back seat to work

• conscious about how their public persona appears

• good at goal-setting and has drive

Then they might be a Type 3.

The Admirable Achiever

Type 3s are driven by a desire for success.

They fear that if they fail then they will not be valued.

Because of this fear, they may have a hard time seeing the benefits of a work idea that goes against their definition of success.

• If you believe your idea is important for them to hear, think about how to deliver it so that it speaks to their core desire of success.

• Also think through how they might object to your idea (to avoid their fear of failure) so that you are able to explain why they shouldn’t worry.

Type 3s are generally not micromanagers. They appreciate when their team takes the initiative and presents them with options, instead of just asking the boss what to do.

Type 3s are big picture thinkers, but might struggle with the details. They benefit from having a cofounder or Chief of Staff who is able to help make their great ideas come true.

Type 3s struggle against a strong feeling of shame, especially shame of failure. Their inner voice wants to motivate them to succeed, but usually overdoes it with insults and demeaning language.

Sometimes when life gets tough, a Type 3 will numb out to the world.

• In these moments, it can be good to let them rest and recharge. Keep the boat afloat as much as you can until they can come back.

• If they are numbing out to avoid a problem, it may be that they just don’t know how to solve it themselves.

  • If you see this happening, you can ask if you can take a load off their shoulders. Maybe you can offer to tackle the problem yourself, or do some research to see how to solve it for them.

  • They’ll appreciate the initiative as well as the helping hand.

Type 3s have a great amount of energy and drive naturally, which can help them achieve their goals, but may also lead to becoming workaholics. Some of that drive comes from them desperately wanting to avoid the shame of failure.

Type 3s can learn to slow down the pace in order to embrace the moment.