Focus Up! It's the Red Edition

This edition is inspired by the Reds of the world - those who believe that if you don’t like the circumstances of your life, you should simply CHANGE them.

I love Reds. I love their bold natures and their competitive drive. They get things done. They make things happen, and they are rarely, if ever, satisfied.

To understand the Reds in your life, you have to comprehend what drives them.

For Reds, the engine that powers their personalities - that influences the way they think, feel, and behave is… POWER (which to some people seems negative).

That said, let’s do some Myth-Busting…

People, organizations, and cultures have biases. Some are deeply rooted - think systemic biases - and others are formed from personal experiences and observations and are newer and/or possibly more easily changed.

Any one of the four Driving Core Motives - Power, Intimacy, Peace, or Fun (Red, Blue, White, and Yellow respectively) could generally be perceived as either something positive or something negative - depending on the observer. The truth is that all are neutral concepts, and the application of the DCM makes it positive or negative.

In other words, it all comes down to how a Red, in this case, chooses to use Power.

Make sense?

So let’s look at what Power actually means to a Red.

Power does NOT necessarily mean that they are on a mission to get everything they want in life and that they are willing to crush anybody who stands in their way. It does mean that Reds crave the ability to move from "Point A" to "Point B” in the most efficient way possible. They need to be able to take action and pursue results.

If you are a leader with Reds on your team, please understand that if they don’t see themselves growing, contributing, and advancing from the work they are doing with you, they will soon be leaving. Reds simply do not plateau well.

Possibilities for achievement, challenge, accomplishment, evolution and victory are like rocket fuel to a Red’s active mind. That’s how you keep them engaged.

Jerry Dunn summed the Red mentality up nicely when he said,

"Don’t limit your challenges, challenge your limits!"

Reds love to be bold, challenge the status quo, and do difficult things. That level of determination has absolutely been inspiring for me to witness in the Reds that I have experienced over the years.

Let me share a few more insights about Reds that a lot of people miss…

#1 - Reds care a LOT more than people think

Reds are very efficient, goal-driven, and they can be quite intense. When they see a problem, they deal with it head-on to fix it. They also tend to stay very logical in the process, and they don’t “baby” people, which causes some to think that Reds just don’t care.

But who said that you need to become emotional to express that you care???

It turns out that each one of the Color Code personality styles expresses care a little differently. Reds are no exception. They show that they care by trying to fix problems and help people move forward.

Remember that Reds are driven by Power - meaning they want to get from “Point A” to “Point B”. If they didn’t care about the person with the problem, they likely wouldn’t stop to help. They’ve got other things to do, for heaven’s sake!

Please remember that, and know that they probably care a lot more than they get credit for.

#2 - Try not to take a Red's comment as a personal attack

I’m just going to say it. Reds can be very, VERY blunt. Like brutally blunt. But that’s because they see issues as being black or white, and they’re not afraid to say so.

They don’t naturally stop and think about how others might react to the direct nature of their remarks, so sometimes they come off as being a little tactless. On the flip-side, they prefer to receive direct communication as well, and when people give indirect feedback, sometimes Reds think that they are being dishonest or perhaps even manipulative.

Please believe this about Reds... They rarely mean what they say as a personal attack. In their minds, they’re just being honest and moving things toward completion, and they are probably not stopping to consider your feelings.

#3 - Reds want you to stand your ground and have an opinion

Even though Reds push for what they want to accomplish or for what they believe in, they fully expect for you to push back if you feel differently. If you don’t, and you allow them to have their way every time, they lose respect for you. And if they don’t respect you, it’s very hard for them to want to stay in a relationship with you.

So… speak up, get a life, and have an opinion, and your relationship with the Reds in your life will flourish.

Related to that, however, it’s also important to understand that just because you push back or share your opinion doesn’t mean that the Red will immediately accept it. They will likely argue with you, but if you hold your ground and stay factual and don’t get drawn into an emotional battle, they will hear you and their respect for you will increase.

I hope this article helps you get a little better sense of what Reds are like. There's a lot more to learn, of course, but even small reminders can go a long way.

Now go out there, and let those Reds inspire you to accomplish something BIG this week. After all, it’s your life and from a Red perspective, it's only limited if you allow it to be.