Your DISC Style in 100 Words
There are several reasons why DISC is a powerful and practical workplace profiling tool. One is its relative simplicity, with four core styles - D, I, S & C - refined by integrating with their neighbouring core styles. For example, an S can be blended with I to be an SI, or with C to be an SC. This gives 12 DISC styles.
Another reason why DISC is so influential is that while your own style and profile are, naturally, fascinating for you the real value comes in knowing other people’s styles compared to your own and better understanding the differences in how you and they tend to go about your work. Knowing the essence of each style is the way to easily and quickly benefit from DISC in your daily work.
To help you, here are 100 word descriptions of each of the 12 DISC Styles.
DC - Dominance + Conscientiousness
The DC style represents individuals who are focused on achieving their goals through hard work and determination. They are conscientious and reliable, with a strong sense of responsibility and a high level of attention to detail. They are often described as practical, systematic, and analytical. They are not naturally outgoing or expressive and tend to be reserved but they are extremely dependable and can be counted on to follow through on commitments. They tend to be good problem solvers and can be very persistent in achieving their goals. They are not necessarily assertive but are comfortable working behind the scenes to make sure things are done correctly.
D - Dominance
The D style represents individuals who are assertive, results-oriented, and decisive. They are naturally overt leaders and tend to be ambitious and goal-oriented. They are driven by results and have a strong need for control. They tend to be direct, confident, and competitive, and are not afraid to challenge the status quo. They are not always great at teamwork and tend to prefer working with considerable autonomy, but when they do work with others, they are often respected for their vision and strategic thinking. They are not always sensitive to the feelings of others, and may come across as blunt or insensitive at times. They ted to think and act quickly and can be impatient with delays and inefficiencies.
DI - Dominance + Influence
The DI style represents individuals who are highly independent and self-motivated. They are driven by results and tend to be decisive, ambitious, and assertive. They have a strong need for control and are often seen as natural leaders. They are comfortable taking risks and are not afraid to challenge the status quo. They tend to be highly competitive and goal-oriented, they often prioritise their own success over the success of others. They are not always great at teamwork and tend to prefer working alone, but when they do work with others, they are often respected for their vision and strategic thinking. They are also known for their direct, decisive and independent behaviour, and may not be open to criticism or feedback.
ID - Influence + Dominance
The ID style represents individuals who are independent, self-motivated, and results-oriented. They are decisive, ambitious, and assertive, and have a strong need for control. They tend to be highly competitive and goal-oriented, and are not afraid to challenge the status quo. They are natural leaders, but also comfortable working alone. They are direct, confident and may not be sensitive to the feelings of others, and may come across as blunt or insensitive at times. They tend to prioritise their own success over the success of others and may not always be great at teamwork. They are also known for their quick decision making and ability to quickly adapt to changes.
I - Influence
The I style represents individuals who are outgoing, expressive and sociable. They are natural communicators and have a strong ability to influence and persuade others. They are often seen as enthusiastic, optimistic and positive. They enjoy working with others and tend to be good listeners. They tend to be low in assertiveness, but high in sociability and tend to be sensitive to the feelings of others. They tend to be cooperative and supportive, but may lack the drive to control or take charge. They may prefer stability over change and may not be naturally inclined to take risks. They tend to be good team players and are highly adaptable to change.
IS - Influence + Steadiness
The IS style represents individuals who are outgoing, expressive, and sociable, they also tend to be patient, consistent and cooperative. They are natural communicators and have a strong ability to influence and persuade others. They value teamwork and collaboration, and enjoy working with others. They are typically not assertive and prefer to maintain stability and avoid conflict. They tend to have a positive outlook and are comfortable with routine, but can be resistant to change. They are patient and dependable, and can be counted on to follow through on commitments. They tend to be good team players and can bring a sense of stability to a team, but may not have a strong desire for leadership.
SI - Steadiness + Influence
The SI style represents individuals who are patient, consistent, and cooperative. They have a steady and consistent approach to their work and prioritize accuracy and caution. They value teamwork and collaboration, and enjoy working with others. They tend to be low in assertiveness, preferring to maintain stability and avoid conflict. They tend to have a positive outlook and are comfortable with routine, but can be resistant to change. They are dependable and can be counted on to follow through on commitments. They may not have a strong desire for leadership, but they are reliable team players and can bring a sense of stability to a team. They are often described as being sensitive to others, and may be more susceptible to stress and anxiety and may need a lot of reassurance.
S - Steadiness
The S style represents individuals who are patient, consistent, and cooperative. They have a steady and consistent approach to their work and prioritise accuracy and caution. They value teamwork and collaboration, and enjoy working with others. They tend to be low in assertiveness, preferring to maintain stability and avoid conflict. They tend to have a positive outlook and are comfortable with routine, but can be resistant to change. They are dependable and can be counted on to follow through on commitments. They may not have a strong desire for leadership, but they are reliable team players and can bring a sense of stability to a team. They are often described as being patient, dependable, and supportive.
SC - Steadiness + Conscientiousness
The SC style represents individuals who are practical, systematic and analytical, they are conscientious and reliable, with a strong sense of responsibility and a high level of attention to detail. They tend to be low in assertiveness and sociability, preferring to work behind the scenes and tend to be reserved and reserved. They tend to be dependable and can be counted on to follow through on commitments. They are often good problem solvers and can be very persistent in achieving their goals. They may not be naturally assertive but are comfortable working behind the scenes to make sure things are done correctly. They tend to be sensitive to the feelings of others, but may not be as expressive or outgoing as other styles.
CS - Conscientiousness + Steadiness
The CS style represents individuals who are practical, systematic and analytical, they are conscientious and reliable, with a strong sense of responsibility and a high level of attention to detail. They tend to be low in assertiveness and sociability, preferring to work behind the scenes and tend to be reserved and reserved. They tend to be dependable and can be counted on to follow through on commitments. They are often good problem solvers and can be very persistent in achieving their goals. They may not be naturally assertive but are comfortable working behind the scenes to make sure things are done correctly. They tend to be sensitive to the feelings of others, and are often seen as supportive and cooperative team players. They may not be as expressive or outgoing as other styles, but they are valued for their dependability and attention to detail.
C - Conscientiousness
The C style represents individuals who are practical, systematic, and analytical. They have a high level of attention to detail and are conscientious and reliable. They tend to be low in assertiveness and sociability, preferring to work behind the scenes and tend to be reserved and reserved. They tend to be dependable and can be counted on to follow through on commitments. They are often good problem solvers and can be very persistent in achieving their goals. They may not be naturally assertive but are comfortable working behind the scenes to make sure things are done correctly. They tend to be sensitive to the feelings of others, and are often seen as supportive and cooperative team players. They may not be as expressive or outgoing as other styles, but they are valued for their attention to detail and ability to remain objective.
CD - Conscientiousness + Dominance
The CD style represents individuals who are practical, systematic, and analytical, they are conscientious and reliable, with a strong sense of responsibility and a high level of attention to detail. They are also assertive and dominant, with a strong drive to control and take charge. They tend to be decisive and goal-oriented, they are often seen as strong leaders, who can make difficult decisions and are willing to take risks to achieve their goals. They tend to be low in sociability, preferring to work behind the scenes and tend to be reserved and reserved. They tend to be dependable and can be counted on to follow through on commitments. They are often good problem solvers and can be very persistent in achieving their goals, but they can also be seen as demanding and may need to be mindful of the feelings of others.
Make It Real
Whatever your style and the style of someone you are working with, keeping your DISC styles in mind will improve the connection between you and your individual and combined effectiveness. Don’t leave DISC on the shelf … make it a source of strength in your work.
Learn the differences between DISC and Strengths here.