How to Develop Leadership Skills with DISC

You’ve likely heard the phrase, “leaders are readers,” so congratulations on successfully completing a leadership development task for the week! However, there are more insights ahead to keep you headed in the right direction, so I encourage you to stay dialed in.

Successful leaders today are outwardly expressing the importance of getting to know themselves and the people in their organizations on a deeper level. They understand people are uniquely different in many ways. The best way to get employees engaged and performing at their best is to maximize their opportunities to work within their strength zones and develop new skills.

For leaders in larger organizations, this might seem like an overwhelming or impossible feat to undertake, as they are unlikely to directly engage with most of their workforce on a routine basis. Good news, you’re not in this alone; leadership is a team sport! This challenge likely feels more manageable for those leading smaller teams. In either scenario, there are strategies leaders can consider, beginning with identifying the behavioral style baseline within the various echelons of the organizational structure. Understanding human behavior and motivators will provide a broad picture of the personalities they are most likely to encounter.

As an organizational leader, how can you possibly understand the strengths and weaknesses of everyone? Great question! The answer is with DISC Behavioral Analysis. Let’s explore some strategies for organizational leaders to establish the personality baseline of their workforce:

Gather Data: Identify DISC Behavioral Styles

First, begin with identifying senior leadership behavioral styles. The DISC Leadership Report will be informative for leaders to better understand their communication style, motivations, and fears while increasing self-awareness to support more effective self-management. Remember, leadership isn’t a position; it’s the ability to positively influence others towards successful individual, team, and organizational performance. It will also help these high-level leaders quickly understand their workforce once all members have completed their individual behavioral assessments.

Compare Data: Identify specific team behavioral styles.

Depending on the organization and its mission, leaders are likely to observe low, average, and high performing teams. DISC, combined with additional reports such as T.E.A.M.S., can reveal talents, preferences, communication styles, leadership qualities, and challenge areas. Whether you’re evaluating a sales team, product team, or customer service team, understanding the dominant behavioral and thinking styles will reveal characteristics that can be attributed to both consistent and inconsistent performance. This information is critical when looking to expand, streamline, or eliminate specific projects, tasks, or functions to enhance organizational performance.

Share Data: Host a Series of Virtual Engagements to Connect and Encourage.

An information-centered organization is a learning-centered organization. People like to feel like they are a valued team member. Make this strategy about sharing your knowledge of the organizational dynamics, successes, challenges, and most importantly, use it as an opportunity for people to get to know YOU as their leader. Share various aspects of your DISC and T.E.A.M.S. reports related to communication preferences, stress responses, and thinking styles, either as a leader engagement or team building event within smaller teams. It will underpin the importance of getting to know one another and the talent, skill, and uniqueness people bring to an organization. Challenge teams to engage cross-functionally and with other leadership teams.

Leadership development isn’t just about getting to know and leading yourself better; it’s also about getting to know your workforce so you can make the best decisions leading to long-term success and driven by motivated and engaged performers.