Too often, we are preoccupied with the best leadership style without introspection on what makes effective and successful leaders. Consider the case of Tom, an executive in a fast-rising tech company who prefers a participative style of leadership that has proved effective in a fast-paced environment. He has continually been ranked as one of the best leaders, and many see him as one of this generation's great leaders.
On the Other hand, Joseph, a leader in a legacy company in the same niche, prefers the same style, but his team is not fond of this leadership style. It has proven ineffective, and he has become unapproachable, and his ability to effectively lead his team is questioned.
For Joseph, a DiSC leadership assessment of his Disc type can help him identify his blind spots and help him evolve into a great leader.
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DiSC Assessment is an organizational behavior assessment tool for employees or leaders to assess their strengths and weakness.
The Pioneer of the DiSC assessment was William Moulton Marston, a psychologist who detailed this approach in his 1928 book Emotions Of Normal People. He is also famously known as the creator of Wonder Woman.
His theory postulated that the root of understanding one's behavior is understanding primary behavior, as it helps in understanding our experiences and managing experiences.
These behaviors are categorized as: Dominance, Influence, Submission, and Compliance. It's from this that the DiSC acronym is derived.
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The DiSC acronym stands for: (D)Dominance, (i)Influence, (S)Steadiness & (C)Conscientiousness.
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The DiSC model works by building a picture of your personality through questionnaires measuring patterns, preferences, and tendencies. These assessments are usually done online, take 15 to 20-minutes to complete, and can come in different shades depending on the provider.
It is important to stress that DiSC does not diagnose but only divulges personality type and does not reveal intelligence level, mental health status, or personal values.
Based on DiSC results, one is assigned a DiSC profile. This assessment can be done as an individual endeavor, or workplaces can use them to understand team members and how best to improve performance.
It is also important to note that DiSC assessments should be taken regularly to ensure updated information, preferably after two years. This is because a DiSC profile can be influenced by factors such as training, personal and workplace experiences, and coaching.
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The objective is to improve self-awareness and increase work productivity through better communication, decision-making, and motivation, Promote teamwork, train without judgment, manage work effectively, and respond to conflict.
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Whereas Leadership behaviors come in different shades, understanding core strengths enables one to become a better leader.
For leaders, a DiSC assessment can be done independently or as part of Executive coaching for leadership development training, which helps reveal your personality and how it can be applied in various development areas.
DiSC's Influence in leadership matters a lot. Whereas there is no best DiSC style in leadership, it makes a leader self-aware and how to best adapt in the face of changing business environment, pandemics such as Covid-19, and other events when one needs to show leadership strengths.
Disc leadership styles can be implemented using the following styles:
A Dominance (D) personality style prefers shaping their environment to realize the result. They show a preference for confidence and prioritize the bottom line.
D- Style leaders show a commanding leadership style, are likely to be resolute and strong-willed, prefer looking at the big picture, don't readily embrace advice, fear criticism, and are often viewed as Authoritarian.
An Influence (i) style prefers persuasion to achieve goals. They have a great tendency towards appreciating openness and building relationships and friendships.
i-Styles leaders tend to be supportive and focused on creating an environment free of conflict.
A Steadiness (S) style personality prefers working with other team members in the existing circumstance to accomplish results. To them, sincerity, dependability, and cooperation are supreme.
S-style leaders tend to be accommodative, preferring an inclusive leadership style. The downside of this leadership style is that the team can misinterpret it as indecisiveness.
A Conscientiousness (C) personality style shows quality, precision, competency, accuracy, and a systematic approach to the assigned tasks despite existing circumstances.
C style of leadership style places a premium on quality outcomes. They have a low tolerance for mediocre work. Most successful leaders prefer this route as they often inspire people around them to think it through before implementation.
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Understanding a DiSC leadership style ensures that your management style strengths get enhanced no matter your preferred leadership style. Moreover, you will be better equipped to manage a team with different personalities.
At Highrise, we can assist you in identifying which DiSC styles best describe you and how you can focus on them to be a better leader.
Reach out today for a solution.
