🏆 Yearbook Awards for Your Archetype

In the Class of 2003, I was voted Most Likely to Have a Dozen Kids.

(Not shocking—As the oldest of 5, I come from a big, boisterous family where love = loud and the cousin count = exponential.)

Plot twist? I have one child.

Turns out, you can honor where you came from without reenacting it. You can choose something different.

And the same goes for the parts of you that show up at work.

Because whether you’re overfunctioning in every meeting or smiling your way through conflict avoidance, you’re not just that one thing.

You’re not your archetype. But you do have one (or three) that might be running your team.

So let’s crack open the yearbook and meet the crew.

Superlative: Most Likely to Be the Emergency Contact for Everyone But Themself

The Survivalist is calm in a crisis, organized under pressure, and terrifyingly good at spinning plates—until they’re not. They take care of everyone else first, then collapse when no one’s looking. Their badge of honor is a full calendar, a muted meltdown, and a post-it that says “I’m fine.”

Reframe: Holding it all isn’t leadership. Letting go of what isn’t yours is.

Superlative: Most Likely to Call HR on Your Behalf (Even If You Didn’t Ask)

The Warrior is fierce. Loyal. A true protector of people—and policies. But their defense can sometimes become offense. They overfunction to shield others and end up shouldering too much. Their urgency is real, but so is their exhaustion.

Reframe: Leading with passion is powerful. Leading with rest is sustainable.

Superlative: Best Vibes. Most Repressed.

The Happy Denier wants everyone to feel good. They’ll crack a joke in a storm, change the subject when things get deep, and declare “It’s fine!” even as the spreadsheet is literally on fire. It’s not that they don’t care—it’s that they care too much to admit things are hard.

Reframe: Feeling bad doesn’t make you bad. It makes you human.

Superlative: Best Smile. Most Avoidant.

The Deflector would rather make a joke than make a scene. They’re charming, quick, emotionally agile—and utterly allergic to being called out. Discomfort? Nope. Feedback? Hard pass. They’ve got an “everything’s cool” reflex that can get in the way of the real stuff.

Reframe: Vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s the only way through.

Superlative: Most Likely to Have a Spreadsheet for Their Emotions

The Obsessor is meticulous, sharp, and two steps ahead of every disaster that might happen. Their power is precision. Their curse? Never knowing when to stop. They edit themself—and everyone else—to death, convinced that perfection = safety.

Reframe: Done is often better than perfect. And imperfect is often more honest.

Superlative: Most Likely to Turn Feedback Into a Research Project

The Professor is brilliant. Strategic. They know the right answer. But when feelings enter the chat, they float six feet above the moment, scanning for case studies instead of connection. They’ll write a dissertation on psychological safety before asking their team how they’re really doing.

Reframe: You don’t have to analyze everything. Sometimes your gut knows more than Google.

Your archetype isn’t your identity.

It’s a coping strategy—one that helped you get this far.

But just like my high school superlative didn’t determine my parenting path, your leadership defaults don’t define your potential. You get to evolve.

You get to graduate.

👉 Ready to meet your archetype? Take the Discomfort Decoder Quiz.

Most likely to cry in the breakroom (and then write about it),
Elise

P.S. You know that colleague who volunteers for everything and regrets it immediately? Yeah, send them this. 💌

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