Inner Saboteur
Name the mental patterns that hijack your leadership under pressure.
Every leader has an inner saboteur. Some have several. These are the automatic mental patterns that fire under stress, uncertainty, and high stakes: the voice that says you are not good enough, the reflex that takes over when you should delegate, the avoidance that kicks in before the difficult conversation. This instrument identifies your dominant saboteur archetypes across 10 patterns. It is not a personality test. It is a map of the specific self-defeating behaviours that are costing you energy, relationships, and results right now. 52 questions. Approximately 12 minutes. Pair with Leadership Strengths to see both sides: what to amplify and what to manage.
Your personalised report
Multi-page PDF + interactive web report
10
dimensions
Self
assessment mode
11+
report pages
90-day
action plan
What It Measures
10 dimensions, each with behavioural anchors
Every dimension is scored, benchmarked, and accompanied by specific coaching recommendations.
The Inner Critic
The master saboteur. Finds fault with yourself, others, and circumstances. Disguises itself as quality thinking.
The Micro-Manager
Needs to be in charge. Anxious when not directing the action. Drives forceful, sometimes domineering behaviour.
The Treadmill
Depends on performance for self-worth. Relentlessly productive but secretly hollow. Chases the next win because stopping feels dangerous.
The People-Pleaser
Wins acceptance by helping, flattering, or rescuing. Loses themselves in the process. The nicest saboteur, hardest to see.
The Worry Engine
Constantly scanning for threats. Creates safety through worry and preparation but pays a heavy energy cost.
The Dodger
Avoids conflict, difficult conversations, and uncomfortable tasks. Focuses on the positive to the point of suppressing what needs attention.
The Over-Thinker
Over-relies on analysis at the expense of emotional intelligence. Appears logical but misses the human dimension.
The Shiny Object
Constantly searching for the next thing. Uncomfortable with stillness. Chases novelty and struggles with sustained focus.
The Perfectionist
Needs things to be perfect, orderly, and exactly right. Drives high standards but at the cost of flexibility and wellbeing.
The Martyr
Focuses on suffering, setbacks, and unfairness. Uses emotional pain to gain attention or sympathy, often masked by competence.
What You Receive
A genuine coaching document, not a score sheet
Ten-archetype saboteur profile ranked from dominant to dormant
Top two to three dominant saboteurs with behavioural descriptions and real-world examples
Trigger map: the specific situations and pressures that activate each saboteur
Cost analysis: what each saboteur is costing you in energy, relationships, and results
Interception strategies: evidence-based techniques for catching the saboteur in the act
Strengths-saboteur pairing: how your top strengths and saboteurs interact (when paired with Strengths assessment)
Interactive report, PDF, and Aiden AI voice debrief
Sample Report Insight
Your dominant saboteurs are The Hyper-Achiever and The Controller. Together they create a pattern: you drive hard for results and take charge of how things are done. Under normal pressure this looks like high performance. Under high pressure it becomes micromanagement and burnout. The interception point is not willpower. It is noticing the anxiety that fires just before the Controller takes over and choosing to trust rather than direct.
Who Is It For
Built for leaders who want signal, not noise
Leaders who know they self-sabotage but cannot name the specific patterns
Anyone who performs well under normal conditions but derails under pressure
Coaches wanting a structured framework for surfacing self-defeating behaviour with clients
Leaders pairing this with the Strengths assessment to get a full picture: what to amplify and what to manage
Teams wanting to understand and discuss the collective saboteurs that affect group dynamics
Research Basis
Informed by Positive Intelligence research (Shirzad Chamine), Internal Family Systems theory (Richard Schwartz), cognitive-behavioural research on self-defeating patterns, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. 10 original saboteur archetypes designed by JBL High Performance. Not affiliated with Positive Intelligence Inc.
Developed by JBL High Performance
2,800+ leaders assessed worldwide
Get Started
Ready to take the Inner Saboteur assessment?
From $99 you get the interactive web report, multi-page PDF, pattern signatures, micro-experiments, and three months of Aiden AI coaching.
Add 360 multi-rater feedback on other instruments for perception gap analysis. Premium includes a 1:1 debrief with Jimmy and a personalised development plan.
Questions
Inner Saboteur assessment FAQs
What does the Inner Saboteur assessment measure?
It measures 10 dimensions: The Inner Critic, The Micro-Manager, The Treadmill, The People-Pleaser, The Worry Engine, The Dodger, The Over-Thinker, The Shiny Object and 2 more. Name the mental patterns that hijack your leadership under pressure.
Who is the Inner Saboteur assessment for?
Leaders who know they self-sabotage but cannot name the specific patterns. Anyone who performs well under normal conditions but derails under pressure. Coaches wanting a structured framework for surfacing self-defeating behaviour with clients. Leaders pairing this with the Strengths assessment to get a full picture: what to amplify and what to manage. Teams wanting to understand and discuss the collective saboteurs that affect group dynamics.
What do I get when I take it?
Ten-archetype saboteur profile ranked from dominant to dormant. Top two to three dominant saboteurs with behavioural descriptions and real-world examples. Trigger map: the specific situations and pressures that activate each saboteur. Cost analysis: what each saboteur is costing you in energy, relationships, and results. Interception strategies: evidence-based techniques for catching the saboteur in the act. Strengths-saboteur pairing: how your top strengths and saboteurs interact (when paired with Strengths assessment). Interactive report, PDF, and Aiden AI voice debrief.
Is the Inner Saboteur assessment free?
No, it is a paid assessment. Plans start at $99 and include the interactive web report, a multi-page PDF, pattern signatures, micro-experiments and three months of Aiden AI coaching. If you want a free starting point first, the Leadership Friction Finder shows where friction is costing your team in about 8 minutes.
Can other people rate me as well?
This one is a self-assessment, so it reflects how you see your own patterns. If you want other people's view too, pair it with a 360-enabled instrument such as Leadership Capability.
What is it based on?
Informed by Positive Intelligence research (Shirzad Chamine), Internal Family Systems theory (Richard Schwartz), cognitive-behavioural research on self-defeating patterns, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. 10 original saboteur archetypes designed by JBL High Performance. Not affiliated with Positive Intelligence Inc.
Not sure this is the right instrument? Start with the free Leadership Friction Finder or read what leadership friction is.