Composed is one of the eight Agile EQ mindsets, and tends to align with DiSC® SC and CS styles. Do you have a composed mindset? If so, use this article to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be naturally composed, and how that tendency helps and limits you.
If the composed mindset is not one that comes naturally to you, and you want to gain comfort with it, see How to be more composed.
“I stay calm under pressure.”
People with the composed mindset tend to be purposeful in their responses, reflecting before speaking or acting. Like everyone, they may have a knee-jerk reaction, but they know that doesn’t mean they have to act on it. Words and actions have implications, so they want to think everything through before choosing a course. Composed people generally hide their frustrations well and handle themselves professionally, even during stress, and may radiate a sense of calm that helps defuse anxious environments.
Benefits of the composed mindset
Operating out of the composed mindset can allow you to
- think through your actions and be intentional in how you respond
- press pause on a knee-jerk reaction that would make things worse
- create a sense of calm for those around you
- insert space between your instinctive response and your actions, even when you’re upset
- exercise diplomacy and understand the consequences of your choices
Which needs drive the composed mindset?
A person’s natural mindsets don’t form in a vacuum—they are built over time by the needs most important to that person. The disposition and actions of composed people are driven, in part, by needs such as
- stability
- security
- harmony
- avoiding criticism
- avoiding making mistakes
- avoiding letting people down
Limitations of the composed mindset
If you over-rely on the composed mindset without adjusting to the situation at hand, you might
- overthink something that needs a quicker response
- miss out on opportunities to share your perspective because you’re too concerned with weighing your words
- gloss over a problem with a colleague when candid feedback is a better choice
- internalize your frustration and stress, which can lead to resentment or burnout
- feel alienated when others charge ahead without you
- be hard to read, which can make others feel slighted if they have approached you with enthusiasm they don’t see matched
- feel very passionately about something, but not adequately communicate your passion and excitement to others
Growing your emotional agility
Your Agile EQ mindsets are the attitudes that require the least amount of effort for you, but they are not your only options. You can grow your agile emotional intelligence by learning about the other seven mindsets and when they might be a better choice than your instinctive reactions.
If you’d like some support in reaching your EQ goals, consider finding a leadership or life coach to help you focus on what is most important to you. Or you and a friend can set up an “accountability buddy” system where you support each other with regular check-ins. If you both take the Agile EQ assessment, you can use your profiles to identify practical steps to help each other become more emotionally agile.
See also: How to be more composed
