Some of the most valuable lessons we learn in life are not brought on by school or work. We learn many lessons through personal exploration. Each of us is nuanced and unique, but each of us also has a personality style we may not be using to its full potential. That’s where DISC theory comes in.
Reaching potential requires you to look inside yourself and do more than just find your personality traits. Your quest for growth requires that you utilize the tools available to achieve your highest potential. Growth is about more than advancing in your career; it’s also about understanding your strengths and limitations so you can improve your relationships, increase your productivity, and enhance your own sense of confidence. When you truly embrace these life lessons, you can become your best self. When you understand yourself, you can apply these lessons to your life no matter your personality type. To begin your journey to unlocking your potential, start by taking your DISC Personality Profile.
Building self-awareness is about much more than knowing your strengths and limitations. It’s also about knowing how you can use those qualities to facilitate personal growth. Whether you are a “D” (Dominant), an “I” (Influential), an “S” (Steady), or a “C” (Compliant) style, you can use your personality profile to better understand your goals and establish the complications that may arise as you seek to accomplish them. For example, a D-type individual needs to embrace risk-taking leadership qualities in the face of a big project, whereas a C-type needs to understand a detail-oriented take is more conducive to that style.
Also crucial is learning how to understand those around you. How do you work with a D-type when you are an I-type? Understanding enough about the people around you to make good decisions for your relationship, whether it be personal or professional, is essential to building strength as a team. For example, a “D” personality doesn’t want to focus on the details but would rather consider the big picture. And while a “C” style may be passive to the point of avoiding conflict, the “D” is more likely to address any conflict on the spot. The “C” type may need to be asked how he or she feels about something. When both parties have this understanding of their needs and goals, they can work together more effectively.
Limitations don’t slide away simply because you understand yourself better. You must motivate yourself to use this new information to your benefit. For example, an “S” personality style may discover the limitation of fleeing or avoiding conflict. They may overcome their limitations by understanding the role of safety as a comfort in her life. Then, the “S” Style can then establish a sense of stability and security with somebody they wish to address conflict with before they act.
Personal growth is not a one-size-fits-all way of life, and it does not end when you achieve one goal. Pinpointing areas in which you want to improve is something you can do time and time again. In fact, more growth may help you see better results in your personal relationships, self-confidence, and overall happiness. If you feel you cannot figure out a plan how to see this through, a life coach may be able to help direct you and work with you on a step-by-step approach. Read more about what is a life coach and why you should have one.
Understanding your strengths also gives you license to use them to improve other aspects of your life. A “D” style who wants to lift weights will benefit from setting specific goals each week, essentially giving himself a challenge. As a matter of a fact, DISC doesn’t end only with assessing your personality strengths and limitations, but there are also reports especially designed to help you achieve certain goals, such as the DISC Fitness Report for getting back on a healthier track or DISC Career to help you out with choosing the right career development path. Thus said, a “C” style loves setting goals and seeing the details, meaning they might want to chart their progress day by day. Utilizing these strengths makes success and personal growth more achievable. When you use your strengths and understand your limitations, you can overcome the roadblocks to personal growth. DISC theory facilitates deeper understanding of the habits and ways of thinking that could unlock new doors in your life.