At any given time, an entrepreneur can make wildly different decisions and react according to one of three common mindsets.

1. The Primal Brain is all about survival and escape (we also call it the reptile brain) – the primitive fight or flight response – and causes people to send emails they later regret, treat people badly and act from a place of scarcity. When we meet people in “Reptile Mode” it’s almost pointless trying to introduce any ideas because all new information is rejected by this mindset and all other people are seen as a threat.

2. The Monkey Brain is about remaining in the comfort zone with a little bit of superficial drama to spice things up. This monkey brain keeps people repeating the same patterns over and over because they are familiar. When we talk to people in this mindset they are fearful about trying new things that would create a meaningful change and prefer to look for superficial things like gadgets, holidays and distractions instead.

3. The Empire Builder is focused on transformation, growth and achieving a vision. This mindset is the most powerful but the hardest to sustain. The visionary mindset probably started the business and grew it before the monkey and the reptile came along. When we meet people in this mindset they are completely up for playing a big game and trying new approaches to business.

 Which mindset are you in right now?