DISC Personality Styles
DISC Personality Styles
What does DISC stand for?
DISC is an acronym for the four behavioral styles as founded by William Moulton Marston in his DISC model of normal behavior. Each of the four DISC personality styles is marked by different characteristics, communication
preferences, strengths, limitations, fears, and motivations. We use this knowledge to not only bring us self-awareness for how we work and communicate best but to understand how we can adapt our styles to more
effectively communicate and interact with others. Knowing your personality type and being able to recognize the observable DISC style behaviors of others in the DISC model can help you build stronger personal and
professional relationships
Find out more detailed information on your specific DISC personality style by taking a DISC assessment here.
There are four main DISC personality types:
More about each style
DOMINANT
| General Characteristics | Direct. Decisive. High Ego Strength. Problem Solver. Risk Taker. Self Starter. |
| Value to Team | Bottom-line organizer. Places value on time. Challenges the status quo. Innovative. |
| Possible Weaknesses: | Oversteps authority. Argumentative attitude. Dislikes routine. Attempts too much at once. |
| Greatest Fear: | Being taken advantage of. |
| Motivated By | New challenges. Power and authority to take risks and make decisions. Freedom from routine and mundane tasks. Changing environments in which to work and play. |
INFLUENCE
| General Characteristics | Enthusiastic. Trusting; Optimistic. Persuasive. Talkative. Impulsive. Emotional. |
| Value to Team | Creative problem solver. Great encourager. Motivates others to achieve. Positive sense of humor. Negotiates conflicts; peace maker. |
| Possible Weaknesses: | More concerned with popularity than tangible results. Inattentive to detail. Overuses gestures and facial expressions. Tends to listen only when it's convenient. |
| Greatest Fear: | Rejection. |
| Motivated By | Flattery, praise, popularity, and acceptance. A friendly environment. Freedom from many rules and regulations. Other people available to handle details. |
STEADINESS
| General Characteristics | Good listener. Team player. Possessive. Steady. Predictable. Understanding. Friendly. |
| Value to Team | Reliable and dependable. Loyal team worker. Compliant towards authority. Good listener, patient and empathetic. Good at reconciling conflicts. |
| Possible Weaknesses: | Resists change. Takes a long time to adjust to change. Holds a grudge. Sensitive to criticism. Difficulty establishing priorities. |
| Greatest Fear: | Loss of security. |
| Motivated By | Recognition for loyalty and dependability. Safety and security. No sudden changes in procedure or lifestyle. Activities that can be started and finished. |
COMPLIANT
| General Characteristics | Accurate; analytical. Conscientious; careful. Fact-finder; precise. High standards; systematic. |
| Value to Team | Perspective: "the anchor of reality." Conscientious and even-tempered. Thorough to all activities. Defines situation; gathers, criticizes and tests information. |
| Possible Weaknesses: | Needs clear-cut boundaries for actions/relationships. Bound by procedures and methods. Gets bogged down in details. Prefers not to verbalize feelings. Will give in rather that argue. |
| Greatest Fear: | Criticism. |
| Motivated By | Standards of high quality. Limited social interaction. Detailed tasks. Logical organization of information. |
DISC Personality Style Blends
It is extremely rare for someone to be purely only one of the DISC styles. Most people are a combination of the four DISC behavioral styles, with varying intensities of each style's personality traits. Your personal DISC profile marks your personality style by which traits you gravitate towards and are most comfortable in your daily life. Intensities of the D, I, S, and C within our personal profiles can shift and fluctuate as we change environments or go through life events. You can be predominantly one style at home and another in the workplace. Additionally, how we behave under pressure can be quite different than how we behave normally. None of the DISC personality traits are intrinsically positive or negative, and no one style is better than the others.
PeopleKeys' DISC is made up of 41 style blends or combinations, where other DISC providers only offer 12 - 16 different style blends. This is due to PeopleKeys' detailed breakdown of personality styles with the ability to have more than just two of the D, I, S and C over the midline. More detail in your DISC profile enables more clarity and self-awareness of your unique personality traits.
DISC Personality Types and Culture
Certain behavioral traits are found to be more appealing than others within different cultures. Even though our behaviors are influenced by our environment, the fact remains that we all are a blend of the four DISC styles with inherent strengths and limitations, regardless of where we live.
Download our study on the Top 5 International DISC style blends by country
DISC Personality Type FAQs
What is the rarest DISC personality type?
The "D" Dominance style only makes up 3% of the population. However, we are a blend of the four DISC styles and some combinations are rarer than others. PeopleKeys recently performed a study to identify the rarest combinations of behavior. Click here to request a copy of the PeopleKeys 4D Statistical Analysis International Study Report.
How and what could you use to identify a person's DISC profile?
We recommend two tools for identifying your DISC personality style. The first tool is the DISC assessment, which is a short questionnaire that compile the results in an export with information on your DISC profile, communication preferences, and how to communicate with other DISC types. The second tool is certification in DISC behavioral analysis.Becoming DISC certified will give you the knowledge and expertise to read your and others' DISC profiles, as well as a deeper understanding of the DISC model a its applications.
Which DISC personality types work well together?
We tend to prefer working with others who are like us, however, it's important to have a balance of DISC working styles on a team. Pairing opposite styles, such as an "S" with a "D" or a "C" with an "I" can be beneficial, as each one has different strengths to fill in where the other might have limitations. The key is that every DISC type can work well with any style if they are self-aware of their strengths and limitations, as well as having an understanding of the other personality styles around them.