250 I Can Read You Like a Book
builders manipulate with ease and either cause the strife them-
selves or allow it to fester until it reaches a point where all parties
must come together. He talks about everyone winning, which is
easy for him to say, because he is the only one truly getting what he
wants—resolution. The other parties lose in some way.
How do you uncover and deal with these hidden super-typical?
Keep these things in mind as I take you through the process:
ƒ The categories describe a select number of roles; you
may have noticed others.
ƒ One person may fill multiple roles, or have solid
identification with a single one.
ƒ The roles assumed by an individual may progress.
For instance, an influence peddler/instigator may
become the advisor simply because the alpha wants
to keep him as close as possible for greater scrutiny.The instigator
The instigator is the easiest to spot. While others suffer over
the latest mayhem, he shows smug pleasure—chin up, eyes com-
fortably open—as he surveys the outcome of his latest venture
with a glow of righteous indignation.
Some instigators are loud and obstinate. These will typically
only behave this way when they have someone in a compromising
situation, such as ill-prepared for a meeting or short on fulfilling the
terms of an agreement. The instigator will rarely launch a headlong
attack against someone who is prepared, which makes him more
similar to a hyena than a lion.