It's tempting to assume that there is one DISC personality type that's most naturally suited to lead. The truth is that great leaders come in all personality types.
Individuals falling into each of the four major DISC personality styles can be effective and capable leaders. However, their innate leadership styles will naturally differ. Whether you're looking to find the best person to promote into a management position or are working to bring out your inner leader, start by identifying the unique talents each personality type instinctively brings to a leadership role.
Why a D Style Personality Makes a Great Leader
People with a D style personality don't just like to be in charge; they need to be in charge. They are most content and productive in a leadership role, given their major strengths in making quick decisions, delegating tasks, creating action plans, and seeing the big picture. They are tough-minded, driven, demanding, and unafraid of confrontation. As leaders, individuals with a D style personality are ambitious, forceful, commanding, fearless, and results-driven, resulting in a strong and direct leadership style.
Leaders with a D personality style command respect through their confident and authoritative manner, demanding the same level of commitment from others as they do from themselves. When they give direction, people tend to follow through without debate. Executives and managers with a type D personality are unflinching in the face of conflict and are not afraid of dealing with difficult issues head-on, akin to the leadership style of Jack Welch.
Why an I Style Personality Makes a Great Leader
While D style leaders command respect through direct and demanding personalities, leaders with an I personality are extroverts who bring people together using their charm, charisma, and enthusiasm. They are the kind of leaders that people love to be around due to their magnetic personalities.
I style leaders excel in communication, fostering an interactive environment and becoming masters at creating strong and cohesive teams. I style leaders possess boundless energy, genuinely enjoy the company of others, and can naturally motivate and inspire those around them. They are likable, easy to talk to, and often diffuse conflict using their sharp sense of humor. Extremely persuasive, their natural optimism makes others believe that anything is possible, reminiscent of the leadership style of Richard Branson.
Why an S Style Personality Makes a Great Leader
S style leaders are collaborative, considerate, and communicative. They place great value on the group's overall cohesiveness, creating a respectful, positive, and mutually beneficial environment. S style leaders are attentive to the needs and well-being of others, excelling at listening and including other people's ideas. They are excellent at mediating conflict in a stressful environment.
S leaders are calm, patient, and relaxed. Their steadiness puts everyone at ease, and they are seen as dependable and supportive. If a cooperative and harmonious environment is what you're looking to create, there's no better leader than an S personality, similar to the leadership style of Larry Page.
Why a C Style Personality Makes a Great Leader
Leaders with a C style personality are methodical and organized. They use their natural strengths in analysis and planning to look at problems from all sides and put a great deal of thought into calculating any course of action. Perfectionists at heart, they hold everyone that works for them to high standards of excellence. Leaders with a C personality are excellent at enforcing deadlines, creating schedules, and are sticklers for accuracy. Being an example of a thoughtful, calculated problem solver, they inspire the people around them to think through decisions carefully and examine problems from all possible angles, much like the leadership style of Bill Gates.
The Bottom Line
When brainstorming a list of the most sought-after qualities of a leader, consider flexibility, communication, organization, vision, and authority.
To find or become the best leader for your organization, think about your organization's needs. Is your office a chaotic environment? Giving a leadership position to (or adopting the leadership traits of) a controlled C DISC type or a stable S DISC style might help smooth things out. Need someone to lead the company through significant changes? D or I style personalities would be a smart choice.
DISC helps you identify your natural leadership strengths. Want to learn about your leadership style? Take the DISC Leadership Report to identify and maximize your leadership strengths.
