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Business Thinking and Leadership Styles

Empowering your business through innovative thinking

BTLS provides insights into your staff's approach to work, communication and leadership. It brings those profiles together in company-wide dashboards, so HR and leadership can discuss strengths, see which perspectives get too little attention and plan development and team conversations.

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Thousands of profiles completed Free Basic Profile Confidential by design
BTLS in practice

Understand thinking and improve how you work together

Explore thinking preferences and apply the insights to everyday work. Find the BTLS application that fits your business, your team or your own development. BTLS was designed for practical application in business and workplace development.

For large businesses with departments

Help people work together across teams and departments.

Use individual and group profiles to discuss how people approach information, decisions and collaboration.

  • Improve communication and handovers between departments.
  • Bring different perspectives into planning and problem-solving.
  • Adapt leadership, feedback and change communication.
  • Identify perspectives that receive too little attention in team discussions.

Example: finance and sales departments agree what information each department needs before approving a proposal.

Explore BTLS for your organisation

For entrepreneurs with small teams

Make better use of a small team’s different approaches.

When people fulfil several roles, clear communication and agreed responsibilities matter. Use thinking preferences to discuss how your team develops ideas, considers options and gets work done.

  • Balance new ideas with analysis and practical planning.
  • Discuss delegation and how team members can support one another.
  • Recognise approaches that differ from the founder’s own preferences.
  • Agree how to communicate, make decisions and follow through.

Example: the founder and colleagues agree how to test new ideas and assign implementation responsibilities.

Explore BTLS for your small team

For individuals

Understand your preferences and broaden your approach.

Use your profile as a starting point for understanding how you prefer to approach work, communicate and consider decisions.

  • Recognise your preferred approaches and possible blind spots.
  • Explain how you prefer to receive information and feedback.
  • Explore different ways to approach unfamiliar problems.
  • Set practical goals for personal and professional development.

Example: an individual discusses feedback preferences with a manager.

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For coaches and consultants

Give development conversations a practical starting point.

Use individual and group profiles to explore thinking differences with clients. Connect the discussion to real workplace challenges and agreed actions.

  • Structure individual feedback and coaching conversations.
  • Recognise how your own preferences may influence your approach.
  • Facilitate discussions about communication and team differences.
  • Turn profile insights into development goals and workplace actions.

Example: a coach turns a profile discussion into two workplace actions and reviews them later.

Discuss BTLS for your practice
For HR managers and CEOs

The people questions every leadership team asks. Answered with data.

Once your people have completed their profiles, BTLS rolls them up into views you can act on. No specialised HR support is needed: any manager can open it and understand their staff complement.

Company view

What are our strengths and blind spots?

See the thinking-style mix of the whole company and each team, side by side. Division views Coming soon

Company dashboard Hiring

Which perspectives should we explore when hiring?

The Hiring Advisor shows which perspectives a team discusses less often, with development discussion points and interview questions.

Perspectives to explore in FinanceBig Picture and people-minded thinking
Hiring Advisor Teams

Which people will work best together?

Team Matchmaker suggests balanced project teams and pairs, and flags pairs who may need to agree how they work.

SDPVSipho + PieterVision with a planDiversity working together
Team Matchmaker Development

Who needs a different approach, or more support?

See how each person likes to receive feedback and make decisions, how they lead and coach others, and where a team needs development.

APAisha P.Feedback: be specific, back it up with examplesApproach
Development view Structure

Which perspectives does each team draw on?

The heat map shows where each style is strong across your teams, so you can discuss how work is shared and where development helps.

Heat map Every person

How do I best work with this person?

Every profile includes a "Work with me" card: how they like to communicate, decide, meet and receive feedback.

TMThandi M.Talk in person. Start with what is going well.
Personal profiles
See the platform

From one person's profile to a view of your whole company

Five graphical reports for every person, rolled up into team and company views. Take a look.

The BTLS Personal Profile

Insight into how you think about things, others and your world. It explores what is important and how you prefer to communicate.

  • General Thinking Profile, with Innovation
  • Work Profile and Needs Profile
  • Approach to Leadership and to Coaching
  • A "Work with me" card your colleagues can read
Try it freeMore about profiles
The five thinking styles

Why better business thinking matters

BTLS measures five thinking styles in three contexts: general (relaxed, like at home), work (under pressure) and needs. Everyone uses all five. Your profile shows which ones you prefer.

BTLS L1 L2 R1 R2 I1
L1

Analytical

Thinks in facts, logic and numbers. Wants to know why before acting.

Communicate
Lead with the point and the evidence. Keep it factual and logical.
Decides
After weighing the facts. Give time to check the numbers.
Energised by
Solving a hard problem, clear data, being trusted to work things out.
Drained by
Decisions made on feelings alone, vague requests, long talks without a point.
Read the full guide to the thinking styles →
For HR managers

Less guesswork in every people decision

Invite staff with one company code. Everyone gets a detailed report they can understand without specialist support, and you get the team and company views.

  • Team reports and group summaries in minutes
  • Perspectives to explore and interview questions
  • Coaching and development focus per team
  • Consent and confidentiality built in
BTLS for HR
For CEOs and leadership teams

See how your whole organisation thinks

We achieve results through people. BTLS shows the strengths your business is built on, the blind spots that slow it down, and how to harness the power of diverse thinking.

  • One dashboard across divisions and teams
  • Break down silos with an integrative approach
  • Build an innovation orientation into the culture
  • Lead each team the way it works best
BTLS for leaders
How it works

Up and running in a day

Invite your people

Share a company code or send invites. People can also start with a free profile on their own.

Complete the questionnaire

A short online questionnaire. There are no right or wrong answers, only preferences.

Get instant reports

Download your results immediately, including a comprehensive discussion of your profile.

Act on the dashboards

Leaders see team and company views, project pairings and interview questions for everyone who has not opted out of group views.

BTLS reports

Comprehensive insights for people, teams and the business

The BTLS report offers comprehensive insights into thinking styles, empowering individuals and organisations to enhance personal growth, team dynamics, and business outcomes.

01

Individual development

A detailed understanding of an individual's thinking preferences, to aid personal growth and self-awareness.

Enhanced self-awareness
Understand your own cognitive preferences, strengths, and potential blind spots.
Career planning
Align your thinking style with roles and responsibilities that suit your natural strengths.
Communication skills
Improve relationships by understanding how you and others think and communicate.
02

Team dynamics and collaboration

Reveal the thinking styles of each member so leaders can better manage and align team strengths.

Enhanced collaboration
Encourage open communication and better teamwork by acknowledging diverse thinking styles.
Role alignment
Position team members in roles where their strengths can contribute most effectively.
Conflict resolution
Reduce misunderstandings and manage conflicts by understanding cognitive differences.
03

Leadership and coaching

Guide teams more effectively by leveraging individual strengths and addressing challenges.

Strategic leadership
Adapt your leadership style to motivate team members based on their thinking preferences.
Effective coaching
Provide personalised coaching that resonates with each person's thinking style.
Performance improvement
Align team members' strengths with strategic goals.
04

Organisational benefits

Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Innovation and creativity
Promote a culture that values diverse perspectives and creative problem-solving.
Organisational cohesion
Encourage collaboration and alignment of goals across departments.
Strategic decision-making
Equip leaders with a deeper understanding of team dynamics for more informed decisions.
BTLS products

Start free. Grow into the full picture.

Our profiles provide a detailed look into how individuals think, communicate, and innovate in the workplace.

BTLS Basic Profile

Free

Completely free of charge and with no obligation. Download your results immediately.

  • General Thinking Profile, with Innovation measurement
  • A full discussion of your results
  • Instant PDF download
Start free profile

BTLS Full Profile

$12.99 once-off

Approximately ZAR250. Taxes excluded.

Everything in the Basic Profile, plus Work Profile, Needs Profile, Leadership and Coaching profiles. Already have a Basic Profile? Simply upgrade, with no new questionnaire.

  • Work and Needs Profiles, each with Innovation
  • Approach to Leadership profile
  • Approach to Coaching profile
  • "Work with me" card
Get the Full Profile

Corporate Profile with Group Summary

Volume based pricing

Corporate rates can be negotiated based on volumes and include full software access.

  • Full Profile for every person
  • Group summary analyses for all five profiles
  • Company dashboard, heat map, Matchmaker and Hiring Advisor
  • Company codes, roles and team management
Talk to us
Endorsements

Trusted by managers, leaders and coaches

The BTLS profile provided me with great insight into my personal thinking styles and why certain things are more important to me than others. I also now understand my colleagues much better and we often chuckle when we recognise our own preferences and behaviours in others (or the opposite!).
JDJonathan D.Operations Manager, Logistics Company
My BTLS profile was an important discovery in my "understanding yourself" journey. As a leader I constantly look out for opportunities to grow and the BTLS helps me every day with this. I strongly recommend it for managers on all levels.
JMJoan MahlanguRetail Branch Manager
I have been using the BTLS with great success to improve teams and build optimal relationships through improved understanding of one another. Not only does it improve communication, but also how team members are utilised according to their strengths and preferences. This approach yielded significant improvements in productivity.
CLDr Chris LombardPeople Capacity Solutions
Privacy and trust

Confidentiality

People's profiles are personal. BTLS treats them that way.

Consent first

BTLS respects each person's right to privacy. Once a report is completed, HR, the CEO and the person's line manager can always see it. Only with the person's prior consent will their profile be used or shared more widely, including in departmental or group reports.

Group reports

Team and other group views can be opted out from by individuals.

Secure by design

Encrypted personal details, two-factor sign-in and a full audit trail of who saw what.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions

What is a thinking styles profile?

A thinking styles profile is a snapshot of the ways you tend to approach information, decisions, problem-solving and other people. It describes preferences, not fixed “types”: a preference doesn’t mean you’re unable to use other approaches, and it isn’t a measure of intelligence or skill.

In practice, a profile can give you information for discussing what kinds of tasks energise you, what perspectives you might overlook, and how you work with people who approach problems differently from you.

How long does the questionnaire take, and which languages are available?

The questionnaire takes approximately 15–25 minutes to complete. It is available in English. Afrikaans and Arabic are coming soon.

Do I need to complete another questionnaire to upgrade to the Full Profile?

No. Your Full Profile uses the same questionnaire data. You can upgrade without completing the questionnaire again.

What is included in the Basic and Full reports?

The Basic Report includes your General Thinking Profile, an Innovation measurement and a full discussion of your results.

The Full Report includes everything in the Basic Report, plus:

  • Your Work and Needs Profiles, both including Innovation measurement.
  • Your Leadership Profile.
  • Your Coaching Profile.
  • Comprehensive discussion of what these results mean.
Are thinking styles the same as profiles and reports?

No. The BTLS system defines five thinking styles, displayed within three contexts and five graphic profiles:

  • Five thinking styles: four primary thinking styles, Analytical, Structured, Big Picture and Interpersonal, with a fifth derived thinking style called “Innovation”.
  • Three profile contexts: General (relaxed, like at home), Work (under pressure) and Needs (which thinking styles you would like to have more or less of).
  • Graphic profiles: three core graphic profiles, General, Work and Needs.
  • Additional reports: Approach to Leadership and Approach to Coaching.

The primary thinking styles describe how someone thinks; the Innovation measurement assesses aspects of innovation within those primary thinking styles.

Can I get help understanding and applying the results?

Yes. Optional coaching, workshops and implementation support are available. Contact us to discuss support for yourself, your team or your organisation.

What pricing is available for coaches and consultants?

Coaches and consultants qualify for volume-based discounts on the profiles they use. Contact us with your expected profile requirements for a quotation.

Who can see my results, and what happens if I leave my organisation?

Once you complete your report, it is always available to HR, the CEO and your line manager. Using or sharing it more widely, including in departmental or group reports, needs your prior consent.

If you leave the organisation, you can request that your profile be permanently deleted.

How long does it take before I receive my profile?

After completing your individual profile, you will receive the complimentary Basic Report by email within minutes, and you can also download the PDF directly from the website.

Can we use BTLS when hiring?

BTLS can suggest perspectives to explore and interview questions to ask. It describes preferences, not ability or suitability, so it should never be the reason to choose or reject a candidate.

Get your BTLS profile

Discover the power of understanding and leveraging different thinking styles in business and leadership.

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