The green zone evaluates behaviours that drive great leadership outcomes. Behaviours proven to drive high performance, learning agility and workplace joy-collectively known as the Triple Goal. The green zone measures 3 core areas and 6 leadership Practices.

Align
Leaders must align people behind a shared purpose and earn their right to lead by role modelling values that inspire trust and accountability. The 2 Align practices are Inspire a Vision and Lead from Values.

Achieve
To achieve the highest levels of performance and engagement leaders must agree performance and behaviour standards, role model them, create accountability around them and celebrate the victories when they are achieved. The 2 Achieve practices are 200% Accountability and Engage the Heart

Grow
In today’s complex world, leaders must build teams that are great at innovating, learning and implementing new learning. They need to support the growth of the individuals in the team and collaborate with others to harness collective learning. The 2 Grow practices are Beginner’s Mind and Empower Others.

The red zone identifies behaviours that limit leadership effectiveness, often rooted in past stress and operating unconsciously. We measure the red zone because we cannot outgrow it unless we know it and can describe it. The 3 core red zone areas closely resemble the 3 biological stress responses of freeze/fawn, fight and flight.

Approval
We all want to belong, be seen, appreciated and valued. We want approval. This becomes red zone when we make our self-worth dependent on approval. We can become passive, people pleasing, enabling of other’s bad behaviour or need to be the smartest person in the room.

Autonomy
We all want to have autonomy and do excellent work. This becomes red zone when we lose flexibility, the perspective of others and our humanity. We can be forceful and dominant, treat people like objects, become unreasonably perfectionistic and critical.)

Security
We all want to feel safe and secure. This becomes red zone when we lose touch with the real needs our situation demands. We can be distant instead of open, conservative instead of innovative, defensive instead of curious, indecisive instead of bold and reactive instead of calm.

The Centre Circle assesses self-regulation, or how effectively leaders manage their attention and actions. This core skill enables leaders to recognize and transform Red Zone behaviours into Green Zone actions.

Research by neuroscientists Joseph LeDoux and Matthew Lieberman explains why we often default to “red zone” habitual behaviours and quick fixes instead of aligning with our “green zone” ideals. LeDoux describes two brain pathways: a fast “low road” from the thalamus to the amygdala, triggering fear, and a slower “high road” involving the prefrontal cortex, which allows more deliberate responses. Lieberman terms these the “X-System” (reflexive) and “C-System” (reflective), with the latter enabling us to grow and make thoughtful choices. While our fast brain, an evolutionary survival tool, generates repetitive and protective thoughts, our slow brain helps us act mindfully, regulating emotions and promoting genuine growth.

All scores are displayed as percentile scores compared to our global norm base; high scores are beyond the 67th percentile; low scores are below the 33rd percentile. Comprised of qualitative and quantitative data on leadership effectiveness, our database of 70 thousand surveys provides invaluable insight into a leader’s strengths and liabilities.