Animal Communication Styles: Lion, T-Rex, Mouse and Monkey Explained
A practical breakdown of the Lion, T-Rex, Mouse and Monkey communication styles—and how to adapt your behaviour for clearer, more effective communication at work.
Editor’s Note: This piece introduces a simple behavioural lens for understanding communication styles. It sits within Cultivated’s broader communication philosophy, offering a practical model for recognising default patterns and adapting behaviour in context.
Animal Types — A Practical Lens on Communication Styles
The Animal Types model comes from the book Rapport: The Four Ways to Read People.
Through forensic psychology research, Laurence and Emily Alison identified four behavioural communication patterns and mapped them to animal metaphors.
The model is not about labelling people.
It is a shorthand for noticing default patterns
— and learning how to adapt.
The four types are:
- Lion — control
- T-Rex — confrontation
- Mouse — capitulation
- Monkey — cooperation
Most people have a dominant preference and move between others depending on context, pressure, and emotion.
The Lion — Assertive Control
The Lion represents calm, assertive presence.
Lions are decisive, clear, and grounded.
They hold their ground without dominating others.
This is not control over people.
It is control over oneself
— tone, words, posture, and emotional response.
The Lion is the style many people aspire to:
confident without aggression,
firm without hostility,
empathetic without capitulation.
The T-Rex — Confrontation and Force
The T-Rex represents domination and emotional volatility.
This is the style that intimidates, overwhelms, and leaves people bruised.
They often leave a trail of human devastation behind them.
It is driven by impulse rather than intention.
Most people slip into T-Rex mode under stress, fatigue, or threat.
Some default to it.
Very little good comes from staying here.
The Mouse — Capitulation and Withdrawal
The Mouse represents quiet, cautious communication.
Mice avoid confrontation, yield easily, and are often spoken over.
They may hold strong ideas but struggle to assert them.
Many people begin their careers as Mice and consciously work towards Lion behaviours.
The Mouse is not weak
—it is context-sensitive
—but it can disappear in strong-willed environments.
The Monkey — Cooperation and Warmth
The Monkey represents sociability, humour, and connection.
Monkeys bring people together.
They create energy, warmth, and collaboration.
The risk is over-optimism or avoiding firmness when firmness is needed.
Like all styles, it requires adaptation.
Conflict and Context
Most workplace conflict comes from mismatched styles.
Two T-Rexes collide.
A Mouse is trampled by a Lion.
A Monkey tries to harmonise what requires clarity and decision.
The model is not about changing who you are.
It is about learning to move between styles deliberately, depending on purpose, audience, and context.
The Point of the Model
This framework is a diagnostic lens, not a personality test.
It helps you:
- recognise your default behaviour
- notice how others communicate under pressure
- adapt your approach to context
- develop towards deliberate, confident communication
Effective communication is not authenticity at all costs.
It is self-awareness plus adaptation.
This piece forms part of Cultivated’s wider body of work on how ideas become valuable, and how better work is built.
To explore further:
→ Library — a curated collection of long-form essays
→ Ideas — developing thoughts and shorter writing
→ Learn — practical guides and tools from across the work
→ Work with us — thoughtful partnership for teams and organisations
