What You Need and What You Bring
Every person is driven by six fundamental core needs that shape their decisions, behaviours, and relationships. Understanding these needs provides insight into why we act the way we do and how to create a more fulfilling life. By recognising and balancing these needs, individuals can enhance their personal well-being, improve relationships, and foster a more productive and harmonious work environment.
In a workplace setting, these core needs directly impact engagement, motivation, and performance. Leaders who understand their own needs and those of their team members can create a culture where individuals feel valued, supported, and driven to contribute their best.
The concept of the six core needs, often explained by Tony Robbins’, explores human motivation and psychology. These needs drive human behaviour and influence decision-making. Similar to the outhouse and penthouse concepts of strengths, we look at the concepts of behaving ‘above the line’ (empowering) and ‘below the line’ (disempowering).
We explore the six core needs in three levels, progressing from foundational needs to higher-purpose fulfilment:
Three Levels of Needs
Top Level (Above the Line): Growth (Neutral) and Contribution (Neutral)
Middle Level (Below the Line): Significance (Masculine) vs. Love/Connection (Feminine)
Bottom Level (Below the Line): Certainty (Masculine) vs. Variety/Uncertainty (Feminine)
Each layer compares the needs within it, helping individuals understand how to balance these complementary forces. Mastering the foundational needs allows individuals to shift “above the line,” where growth and contribution become the primary focus.
Above the Line vs. Below the Line
Above the Line Thinking: Reflects positive, empowering, and constructive behaviours. It’s driven by abundance, growth, and openness.
Below the Line Thinking: Represents reactive, fear-based, and limiting behaviours. It’s driven by scarcity, insecurity, and survival instincts.
Example:
Seeking certainty “above the line” might involve creating a balanced routine.
Seeking certainty “below the line” might involve avoiding all risk or micromanaging.
Masculine vs. Feminine Energy: Understanding the Difference
It’s essential to differentiate between biological sex (male/female) and energetic qualities (masculine/feminine). Every individual, regardless of gender, possesses both masculine and feminine energy in varying degrees. These energies are not about gender roles but rather about complementary strengths that influence how we approach life, relationships, and work.
- Masculine Energy: Focused, goal-oriented, assertive, and driven by purpose. It seeks structure, achievement, and control.
- Feminine Energy: Creative, nurturing, intuitive, and relationship-focused. It thrives on connection, adaptability, and emotional expression.
Balancing these energies allows individuals to respond effectively to different situations. For example, assertiveness (masculine) is crucial when making decisions, while empathy (feminine) is essential for building relationships. Mastering both creates emotionally intelligent individuals and stronger teams.
The 6 Core Needs
The need for safety, stability, and predictability.
Positive expression (above the line): Healthy planning, creating routines.
Negative expression (below the line): Avoidance of change, over-control, or fear of the unknown.
Masculine energy: Seeks to create a sense of order and protection.
Feminine energy: Desires emotional security and consistency in relationships.
The need for novelty, change, and new experiences.
Positive: Openness to exploration, creativity, and adventure.
Negative: Recklessness or instability.
Masculine energy: Thrives on challenges and risk-taking.
Feminine energy: Enjoys spontaneity and emotional variety.
The need to feel important, special, or unique.
Positive: Healthy self-esteem, contributing value.
Negative: Seeking validation through ego or dominance.
Masculine energy: Often expressed through achievement and performance.
Feminine energy: Tends to seek connection and validation through emotional significance.
The need to feel a bond with others and experience love.
Positive: Cultivating deep, meaningful relationships.
Negative: Clinging, co-dependency, or avoidance of intimacy.
Masculine energy: Seeks loyalty and respect in relationships.
Feminine energy: Focuses on emotional intimacy and nurturing bonds.
The need for personal development and expansion.
Positive: Learning, evolving, and striving to reach potential.
Negative: Fear of failure or stagnation.
Masculine energy: Focuses on conquering challenges and self-discipline.
Feminine energy: Emphasises emotional and relational growth.
The need to give beyond oneself and help others.
Positive: Acts of service, legacy-building, and purpose-driven efforts.
Negative: Overextending oneself or attaching self-worth solely to helping others.
Masculine energy: Directed toward creating impact and tangible results.
Feminine energy: Focused on nurturing and uplifting others.
Applying the Six Core Needs in a Team Environment
Example: Imagine a transport company responsible for delivering goods across the country. The operations team faces tight deadlines, unexpected delays, and the pressure to meet customer expectations. Here’s how understanding the six core needs can improve team dynamics and performance:
- Certainty: Clear schedules, reliable equipment, and consistent processes provide stability, reducing stress and boosting confidence.
- Variety: Unexpected challenges, route changes, and problem-solving opportunities keep the job engaging and prevent monotony.
- Significance: Acknowledging each team member’s role—drivers, coordinators, and dispatchers—reinforces their value and motivates high performance.
- Love/Connection: Building strong relationships and fostering open communication creates a supportive and collaborative environment.
- Growth: Providing training, career development, and opportunities to learn new skills empowers individuals to advance professionally.
- Contribution: Emphasising the company’s role in delivering essential goods fosters a sense of purpose and pride in their work.
By recognising and balancing these needs, the company creates a motivated, resilient, and high-performing team that can navigate challenges while maintaining morale and productivity.
How a Coach Can Help
Your coach helps you identify which core needs you prioritise and whether your behaviours are “above the line” or “below the line.”
Your coach guides you to balance competing needs (e.g., certainty vs. variety) and align them with your personal goals.
Your coach examines your mental and emotional habits, helping you identify limiting beliefs and then reframe them.
By recognising dominant masculine and feminine tendencies, a coach can suggest complementary strategies to create balance.
For someone overly reliant on masculine energy, they might encourage more creativity or emotional openness.
Your coach focuses on transitioning “below the line” behaviours to “above the line” by promoting healthier expressions of needs.
Helping you move from self-centred significance to purpose-driven contribution creates fulfilment and balance.
This framework allows your coach to address deep psychological drivers, foster holistic growth, and support you in creating a meaningful and empowered life.
Align Your 7 Day Challenge with Your Top 5 Strengths
This week is about developing your understanding of the six core needs to identify what you need and what you bring. Each of us has a unique combination of these needs, influencing our decisions, relationships, and behaviors. By recognizing how these needs show up in your life and learning to balance them, you can create a more intentional and fulfilling approach to work, relationships, and personal growth. As you progress through this challenge, you will reflect on how these needs influence your daily actions, gain clarity on areas that need more attention, and develop strategies to create a sense of balance.
And here’s the kicker, if you want to take it up to another level you may also choose to align your top five strengths with each challenge, like you have in the previous weeks. Upon reflection, you may even notice how each of your strengths and needs naturally showed up throughout the day. Remember, you can revisit the 7 Day Challenge anytime to incorporate the daily intentions and reflective questions. By now, be sure to appreciate how interconnected each of these seven challenges are.
Today is about learning new knowledge and bringing the 6 core needs into my conscious competence. The goal is to bring certainty to my understanding the need for stability, predictability, and control.
Daily Intention:
How will I seek and create moments of stability and confidence in my actions today?
Reflective Questions:
- How did I seek certainty in my life today?
- What small action did I take today to create more stability?
- Which strengths aligned with this core need today?
Today, we focus on embracing uncertainty and variety, key elements of the feminine energy. The aim is to explore how introducing flexibility and openness can break monotony, allowing room for growth, creativity, and adaptability. By creating a balance between uncertainty and focus, we enrich our experiences.
Daily Intention:
How will I embrace uncertainty and introduce variety into my day to cultivate flexibility and adaptability?
Reflective Questions:
- How did I embrace uncertainty or new experiences today?
- How did I create variety in my routine or interactions?
- Which strengths aligned with this core need today?
Today is about recognising and enhancing your sense of significance. The goal is to use empowering language to affirm your value and the impact you make on others. By owning your worth, you bring confidence and motivation into your interactions and actions, allowing you to live with purpose and influence.
Daily Intention Question:
“How will I use empowering language today to reinforce my sense of value and significance?”
Reflective Questions:
- What empowering language did I use to elevate my confidence and that of others
- How did I acknowledge the significance of those around me?
- Which strengths aligned with this core need today?
Day 4: Purpose
Today’s focus is on connecting with others and fostering meaningful relationships. The goal is to channel love and empathy through your actions, recognising that connection is essential for both personal fulfilment and mutual growth. By acting with intention to nurture these bonds, we bring deeper meaning to our lives.
Daily Intention:
How will I initiate deeper connections today?
Reflective Questions:
- How did I connect with someone on a deeper level today?
- What actions did I take to build stronger relationships?
- Which strengths aligned with this core need today?
Today, the focus is on growth, a core human need that thrives in masculine energy. The goal is to develop habits and routines that push us toward continual improvement, both personally and professionally. Growth requires intentional focus and discipline to break through barriers and achieve higher standards.
Daily Intention:
What new habits or practices will I implement today to support my personal growth?
Reflective Questions:
- How did I commit to my growth today?
- What habits did I reinforce that contribute to my development?
- Which strengths aligned with this core need today?
Today, the focus is on the learning process and giving back and making a difference. Contribution is an expression of the feminine, nurturing energy that thrives in helping others. The goal is to recognise how your actions can inspire and uplift others, making a lasting impact through small and large acts of kindness.
Daily Intention:
How will I contribute to others today, and what impact will I make?
Reflective Questions:
- How did I contribute to the well-being of others today?
- What act of kindness did I perform, either big or small?
- Which strengths aligned with this core need today?
Today, we integrate all six core needs and reflect on how each has played a role in our growth over the past week. The goal is to recognise the interconnection between certainty, variety, significance, connection, growth, and contribution and how we can share this with others. By balancing and aligning these needs, we create a fuller, more harmonious life.
Daily Intention:
How can I share all six core needs with others to create a balanced and fulfilling experience?
Reflective Questions:
- How did I experience a balance between certainty and uncertainty today?
- In what ways did I affirm my significance and connect with others?
- What steps did I take to continue my growth and contribute to the world around me?
- Which strengths aligned with this core need today?
Taking just a few minutes each day to reflect on these questions can have a powerful impact on your wellbeing and personal growth. This daily check is designed to help you:
Stay Focused on What Matters Most
By pausing to reflect, you’ll become more aware of how you’re spending your time, energy, and attention – allowing you to make intentional choices that align with your goals and values.Celebrate Small Wins
Noticing moments of progress, connection, or positivity helps boost your confidence and reinforces healthy habits that contribute to your happiness.Build a Stronger Mindset
Mindful reflection can help you identify areas of growth, reduce stress, and develop a greater sense of control over your week.Foster Connection and Balance
Recognising meaningful interactions and balancing work with life outside of it improves your relationships and overall satisfaction.Contribute to a Positive Environment
Your feedback can inspire changes that benefit your workplace or community, helping create a space where everyone can thrive.
Commit to just a few minutes each day – it’s an investment in yourself and a simple step toward a happier, more fulfilled life.
Congratulations and Thank You!
Well done on completing this section of the coaching program! Your commitment to growth and development is truly inspiring. Take a moment to appreciate the progress you’ve made and the tools you’ve gained along the way.
Remember, the key to lasting success lies in consistently applying what you’ve learned. Continue using these tools daily and work to embed the habits you’ve started building into your routines. Over time, these habits will become second nature, empowering you to achieve even greater results.
Before moving forward, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Please proceed to the next page to complete a brief feedback form. Your input is invaluable in helping us refine the program and ensure it delivers the best possible experience for you and others. Thank you for being a vital part of this journey!