Shadow Traits
LEVEL
when to use this tool
When you want to deepen your personal self-awareness and/or when you want to understand more about the subconscious drivers across the team
why this tool is useful
To help you identify what might be causing friction or thinking biases within yourself and/or across the team
Exploring your Shadow Traits
Three different ways you can explore your Shadow Traits
1 – Use the list and reflection questions below
2 – Use the custom GPT below can help you to do it. The data in the conversations is not stored anywhere by Superteams (and never will be). You will need the paid version of ChatGPT to use it
3 – Download the document and upload this to your own AI as context
Some Shadow TRaits
Below are examples of Shadow Traits. By no means an exhaustive list, but it can help you to get started in your thinking. You can use these reflection questions to help you:
Reflection Questions
-
What surprises me about the traits I marked as seductive or repulsive?
(Why do these particular qualities draw such a strong reaction from me?) -
How might these traits already show up in me — even in subtle or hidden ways?
(Do I sometimes express them, even if I don’t admit it to myself?) -
When I see these traits in others, how do I usually react?
(Do I criticise, admire, withdraw, compete, avoid, overcompensate?) -
If I had a healthier relationship with one of these traits, what could that make possible in my teamwork?
(E.g., owning assertiveness instead of repelling it might make me clearer in decisions; allowing ambition instead of denying it might push our ideas further.) -
What’s one small way I could bring the constructive side of this trait into my next interaction with the team?
(Turning projection into practice — making the shadow conscious and useful.)
Examples of ‘Repulsive’ traits
- Charm to manipulate – being strategic with warmth/likability for personal gain.
- Playing the victim – avoiding responsibility by emphasising suffering or helplessness.
- Arrogance – acting superior, dismissing others’ contributions.
- Micromanaging – controlling others’ every move, not trusting competence.
- Laziness – avoiding effort, letting others carry the load.
- Conflict-seeking – picking fights, stirring tension.
- Selfishness – prioritising own needs over team needs.
- Inconsistency – saying one thing, doing another.
- Neediness – constant reassurance, attention-seeking.
- Over-competitiveness – treating colleagues as rivals instead of partners.
Examples of ‘Seductive’ traits
- Charisma – drawing people in effortlessly.
- Confidence – self-assured presence, even under pressure.
- Decisiveness – making bold calls quickly.
- Influence – shaping opinions and outcomes with ease.
- Recognition-seeking – openly wanting praise and attention.
- Ambition – unapologetically striving for more.
- Independence – going your own way without needing approval.
- Power – directing resources, people, and decisions.
- Creativity – producing novel, original ideas.
- Non-conformity – breaking rules, doing things differently.