When we talk about leadership, we’re talking about people. And when we talk about people, we’re talking about their individuality and distinguishing characteristics, especially in terms of their personalities.
You need to be aware that multiple perspectives are beneficial when making important decisions within your organisation. That’s why utilising DISC profiling in your company can improve how leaders and teams engage and communicate with each other to improve culture and achieve better outcomes.
Four personality types make up the DISC model of behaviour:
- Dominance (D),
- Influence (I),
- Steadiness (S), and
- Compliance or Conscientiousness (C)
Even if you’ve already used the DISC model to profile your employees, peers, and managers to know their personality types, managing their personalities is still tricky.
But here’s how you can effectively manage their personality types like an expert:
Leading D-Type Personalities (Dominance)
The D-types profile is based on outcomes.
What matters most to them are their accomplishments, not how they got there. They want comprehensive action plans with well-defined tasks, and they are not willing to accept failure or weakness. Their communication is straightforward, and they are not aiming to become everybody’s best friends.
Others may perceive a D-Type with a strong personal objective as cutthroat. They are competitive and can be quick to criticise others.
But how can you deal with this personality type as a leader?
Here’s how:
- Create demanding and relevant goals for them to strive for
- Don’t micromanage so they won’t feel stifled at work
- Give them the bottom line immediately
- Be concise when communicating with them
- Maintain your concentration
- Avoid making hasty generalisations
- Try to focus on solutions instead of focusing on issues
D-type personalities may be perceived as constantly talking and never listening, but you can transform their traits into assets with the right leadership and management. You can leverage their strengths to help drive the team forward whilst focusing on helping them to listen more actively, be more sensitive to the opinions of others, and search for consensus.
Leading I-Type Personalities (Influence)
I-types enjoy having fun at work and socialising with others.
They are more likely to express their emotions and discuss their experiences. Further, they are natural problem solvers who think beyond the box. They excel in motivating and encouraging people to take action. They also contribute to a happy workplace through their optimism and sense of humour.
But because they are more into others’ approval and acceptance to boost their social esteem, rejection is their greatest fear.
So, how do you engage with this personality type as a leader?
Here’s how to deal with them effectively:
- Allow them to communicate their feelings and opinions
- Share knowledge with them generously
- Assign tasks that need a prominent level of communication and minimal accuracy
- Have someone take down details for them
- Give them time for social activities, as they are excellent motivators for others
With strong leadership, I-types can achieve their objectives using humour and persuasion. If you support and manage them well, they may be outstanding leaders in brainstorming sessions.
Leading S-Type Personalities (Steadiness)
S-types are pleasant individuals.
They may make excellent leaders since they are people-oriented and empathic. Moreover, they aim for consensus and will make every effort to resolve disagreements when they emerge. They are submissive to authority and a dedicated team player. They are also capable of multitasking and following through on activities.
However, they like to settle into a pattern with what seems safe and cling to it, which leads to resistance to change. Because they are passive and want to avoid conflict, they may carry grudges when they are frustrated or resentful rather than confronting the problem head-on.
So, how do you deal with this personality type as a leader?
Here’s how you can efficiently handle them:
- Slow down and pay attention when talking to them.
- Discuss different options in depth when giving responsibilities.
- Be friendly and establish rapport
- Assist them in getting started on new tasks
- Give them time to think and ask questions
- Talk to them privately when providing feedback
- Explain why you’re implementing change in the workplace and give them time to adjust
The S Personality Style may have a hard time adapting to change, so make sure to create a space for openness and flexibility within your organisation so that they will be able to adapt quickly and become effective in their actions.
Leading C-Type Personalities (Compliance or Conscientiousness)
C-styles are known as “The Analyst”.
They think logically and systematically, making thoughtful conclusions based on plenty of study and data. They are also perfectionistic and have high standards when it comes to their work.
They are terrific problem solvers and incredibly creative individuals because they always focus on the details. They consider every aspect of how things operate and how the process works.
However, C-type Personalities are wary of criticism because they take pride in being precise and perfect. They also want assurance that they’re doing the right thing, and they prefer clear job descriptions, objectives, and goals.
So, how can you deal with this personality type as a leader?
Here’s how:
- Allow them to have ample time for decision-making
- Assign tasks that need a high level of expertise
- Use details and explanations when speaking to them
- Avoid answering inquiries in a vague or casual manner
- Be diplomatic and specific when providing feedback to them
- Avoid confrontations
Although C-Type personalities are considered introverted, task-oriented, and like to work alone, they still require your guidance to support and drive them to make decisions and take risks.
Ready to apply these secrets to design your next-level GTM strategy?
If you lead and engage with your team members as individuals, adapting your style to their DISC preferences, then you will witness greater motivation, improved communication and more successful teams in your company. This will also lead to higher financial performance for your business.
Have a FREE 30-minute session with me to talk more about how to leverage DISC profiling for your teams so that you can improve communication throughout your organisation.
