Perception Dynamics: 9 Categories of Reframing

I remember finishing a talk toward the end of 2018, sharing with the audience how we ought to utilize various sophisticated strategies to flexibly adjust our emotions and adapt to a complex world.

With over 150 participants and the emcee of the event summarized the session in one statement, saying "In a nutshell, all we need to do is to think positive."

Sometimes, simplistic conclusions like that simply make me quite mad.

Especially so when speaking to audience members, and hearing stories like:

• sky high disengagement within the workplace.
• some staff members driven to the verge of burnout
• a lack of education around sensitivities like psychological safety
• fights and conflict that happen that are still brewing toxicity among colleages

Surely under these conditions, people need to have an even more effective focus on how to become better at handling their inner world. I wrote about the 9 Factors in the Personal Mastery Cycle in an earlier edition, which I think is also apt to revisit from time to time

(Frameworks for personal mastery are powerful but human behavior is complex and requires repetition in order for things to 'sink in' over time)

Leaders and influencers need more than just strategies—they need a mastery of perception to navigate the complexities of human interaction and personal evolution. Perception Dynamics is my creative approach to revealing the psychological science behind transforming perception through advanced techniques like reframing, perspective shifts, and Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP). It’s designed to help leaders elevate themselves and others by tapping into the power of transformation, both personally and relationally.

The Study of Perception Dynamics

There are a variety of ways to study Perception Dynamics in order for your sense of control of the world expands.

• Submodalities and the structure of your mental and emotional environment.
• Language and the structure of your self-talk.
• Reframing and how you view alternative perspectives (which I am emphasizing in this edition of the newsletter).
• Modeling (I shared about the SCORE model and neurological levels, two key models I use for modeling of excellence in others) and how you look at how others view the world differently than you, especially those who are far more successful.

Let's dive in...

My Pet Peeve with 'Reframing.

Here’s something that’s been on my mind… I often see reframing tossed around too simplistically—like when people throw out lines such as, “That’s a great learning opportunity” or “It’s happening for you, not to you.” These surface-level statements are well-intentioned but can feel hollow, even sarcastic. They lack the sophistication needed for true transformation and often fail to address deeper emotional and identity-level shifts.

True, advanced reframing isn’t just about slapping a positive spin on things. It’s about moving beyond the superficial and engaging with approaches that deeply impact beliefs, emotions, and identity.

Here are some advanced reframing techniques that can truly transform how we see ourselves and the world:

1. Schema Reframing

Schemas are the deeply ingrained beliefs that shape our worldview.

Advanced reframing targets these core schemas, not just surface thoughts.

For example, if someone believes "I am unworthy," the reframe involves gathering evidence that challenges this belief and gradually replacing it with a more empowering one like “I am worthy of love and respect despite my imperfections.”

How to Apply:

• Identify core negative beliefs.
• Gather evidence that contradicts them (e.g., past successes or positive feedback). How is this not true?
• Identify a more effective belief for this same context.
• Find more and more evidence that supports it.
• Gradually replace the limiting belief with a more balanced, empowering one.

If you have an intention to start a new business, but feel fearful, then you will want to start to identify your limiting schema and build more appropriate ones instead.

If you are fearing that the workplace is biased against you, you will need to generate a more effective frame around your behaviors at work and establish a more supportive one so that when you change your beliefs, the people around you gradually change.

2. Contextual Reframing

This technique changes the context in which an event is viewed.

For instance, instead of seeing a difficult experience as purely negative, you might frame it as something that has given you strength or insight. I have a video that sums this up. I call it the 'black dot experiment'.

How to Apply:

• Shift focus from the immediate impact to the long-term benefits or advantages.
• Ask yourself: What has this experience taught me about my resilience?

3. Cognitive Reappraisal Using Extinction Learning

Many people experience triggers.

Triggers are unconscious because they make you feel a certain way based on certain stimuli around you. You don't even need to think about them. Say you are afraid of speaking on stage. Perhaps you were triggered from past memories, or a general lack of familiarity of the stage.

You can start by recognizing that the context has changed. For example, a situation that once felt threatening may no longer be dangerous because you now have the skills to handle it. It's quite different holding the feeling of fear in your late teens, compared with as a young adult speaking with working experience under your belt, for instance.

How to Apply

• Identify situations where past negative outcomes no longer apply. I shared this video about my concept of kintsugi-do.
• Reframe the experience based on your current abilities and knowledge.

4. Guided Imagery for Identity Shifts

Use visualization to experiment with new identities. Imagine yourself confidently handling situations where you previously felt inadequate.

How to Apply

• Visualize yourself successfully navigating challenging situations.
• Practice embodying the traits you wish to develop, such as confidence or resilience.
• You can get into an emotionally positive state through the process of anchoring.

I have a detailed post on how I do that for myself and my clients here.

5. Behavioral Experimentation

Test new beliefs in real-world scenarios. For example, if you believe "I am not capable of leading," take on a small leadership role and observe the outcome.

How to Apply

• Identify a limiting belief.
• Design an experiment to challenge it in a low-stakes environment.
• Reflect on the results and adjust your belief accordingly.

6. Compassion-Focused Reframing

When logic alone doesn’t resonate, compassion-focused techniques can help bridge the gap between intellectual understanding and emotional acceptance.

How to Apply:

• Before reframing, engage in calming exercises like soothing rhythm breathing, or watch my video about pattern interrupts.
• Once in a calm state, revisit the situation with a more compassionate perspective.

7. Metaphorical Reframing

Metaphors can bypass logical defenses and directly speak to emotions. For example, instead of seeing challenges as obstacles, frame them as stepping stones toward growth.

How to Apply:

• Use metaphors that resonate with your personal story (e.g., “This setback is not a wall but a detour on my path”).
• Regularly revisit these metaphors until they become part of your internal dialogue.

I also often guide people through a self-reflection of their metaphor of identity. This not only helps them generate a really powerful emotional state of strength, but solidifies "who" they are as opposed on merely "what" they do.

8. Multi-Perspective Reframing

Look at an event from multiple perspectives—your own, others involved, and even an outsider’s view.

This widens your understanding and lowers emotional intensity.

Did you know that there are actually atg least 63 alternative perspectives to one reality you are experiencing? I cover this in my training of NLP certification trainings especially those who want to master it and support others in re-looking at their miserable present to create a better, more wholesome reality.

How to Apply:

• Ask yourself: who are your role models in life (it will be challenging if you don't have anyone whom you respect or look up to, and I highly encourage you do find them even if you don't meet them face to face).
• Given their model of the world. how differently would they interpret this situation?

Use this broader perspective to soften rigid emotional responses.

9. Structural Reframing

You can take a mental image and adjust it so that you change that internal image. For example, a person you fear authoritatively can be viewed as a normal human being with regular needs. Alternatively a person who is always nasty to you can be viewed as someone with a hurt inner child, who knows no other way but to throw a tantrum.

How to Apply:

• Look at my video about submodalities.
• Consider the nature of submodalities you can change (as detailed in the post itself). For instance, you could remove the voice of that person and insert the voice of someone calmer and more reassuring instead.
• Once you notice the change of the emotional state, you'll realize that you no longer need to be stuck in a frame like a victim, but choose your own responses.

Conclusion

On a separate note, I had a workshop that I ran that began with a group of skeptics. Across the three days, I demonstrated to them how their old mindsets were incorrect.

• Leaders were not meant to be know-it-alls.
• Leaders were also fallible. But each individual is also empowered with strengths that leaders must know how to use.
• They saw the power of what it takes to choose to change from within. There's no more excuses. We can choose our own outcomes.

Perception Dynamics is the toolkit I encourage leaders to acquire in their lifetime.

Everyone has challenges.

They won't even need to be workplace challenges. They could be personal or relationship challenges. But they can end up being stacked together with our work priorities, and then without having perceptual control over our own circumstances, we can burn out.

Even those of us who have elevated ways of thinking.

Life happens to us, right?

Well, perhaps the ability to master our Perception Dynamics can enable a better way to walk through rocky pathways and navigate stormy seas, so that we can learn to dance with the rhythms in life.

And if you are a leader, you have to learn these skills early to have sufficient time to apply them and develop even further for your adaptability to increase in this increasingly challenging and complex world that we live in.

Perception Dynamics is the self-correction and evolution pillar of Bulletproof Leadership.

To find out more about how to enable this for yourself as a leader, or even within your organization, DM me and let's have a chat!