This document isn’t meant to sound like some high-stakes tactical intelligence manual, but ... as those who are already navigating the top tiers of power will tell you, "it pays to be able to read people and predict outcomes as best as you can."
In this section, we continue explaining the DISC Method essentials with enough high-level information that leads right up to the advanced stages in our
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inner circle
Visit our "Archive" where you can explore our Free Access and the Members-Only material listings.
You will find highly researched material, like Your Strategic Style 'Audit' with Dossiers and downloads, the Big 5 / DISC Personality Quizzes, Negotiation briefings, Practical Leadership & Effective Communication material, Productivity/Prioritizing Notes and many more essential subjects of value.
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where we provide our Members the study material and a printable manual. But even at this level we are pleased to provide you with important material.
We are all different — We are individuals
You are a Living Mosaic
Forget rigid color-coded “boxes”. In life, and more so in business, "pure types” are a personality myth — a gross over-simplification.
You are a unique hybrid, or blend, of 4 Energies—a living mosaic where your Primary Drive (what you need, or want) is filtered through your Primary Tool (how you are programmed to get it).
As we revisit the 4 DISC Quadrants and what they stand for, first we must remember these 3 essential rules:
No one person is a single ‘type’ — i.e. a pure “D”, or a pure “C”. We each exhibit a dominant, or primary ‘natural’ tendency, but we also have a secondary, or even a tertiary tendency. We are a mix of the different types in different proportions.
People shift 'personas' — During any single day, people shift from one 'persona' to another to accommodate each different 'role.' These roles are referred to as your ‘adapted’ personas.
Why does this happen? — DISC deals with 'behaviours' more than personal 'traits.' The four divisions of characteristic behaviours are explained below:
Typical behaviours hint at personality types
“D” — Dominant behaviour (Red) that is often reflected in:
Direct communication – others may feel this is ‘blunt’
Determination—a person who’s action- and results-driven
Decisions that are quick (maybe sometimes even hasty)
Competitiveness – risk taker; demanding; expects to win
Assertive body language (stance, gestures, voice)
“I”— Influencing behaviour (Yellow) that is often reflected in:
Inclusivity – an organiser, loves groups; typically extroverted
Fun – a people person, the soul of any activity
Talkativeness – animated, expressive communicator
Optimism – a motivator; looks for the silver lining
Flexibility – typically less fussy about procedure
“S”— Stable behaviour (Green) that is often reflected in:
Sensitivity – cares about how people feel; caretaker; helper
Cooperation – avoids conflict as much as possible; the peacemaker
Steady pace – careful and never hasty (typically slower paced)
Consistency – prefers predictability (certainty) over surprises
Loyalty – the calm within the storm; the team’s go-to person
“C”— Conscientious behaviour (Blue) that is often reflected in:
Reservedness – prefers to work alone, reflective; a typical introvert
Compliance – a rule maker and follower; procedure is king!
Economics – speaks and moves less than others; often serious
Precision – data driven, cares about facts more than opinions
Rationality – level headed logic and rationale over emotion
The Persona
Borrowing Shakespeare’s famous lines, although here they're used in a different context, we can relate to the human "
persona
The Mask of Strategy:
Although the word ‘persona’ originates from the Latin for the ‘theatre mask,’ depicting a Character, our ability to wear a "social mask" isn't about being fake, but about social adaptation.
In high-level leadership, projecting a persona, or a calibrated set of behaviours chosen for a specific objective is essential.
source: Jungian Psychology — role." from the Jungian perspective.
“ All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts ”
In our DISC Personality context, the different ‘parts’ a person plays refer to our different “roles” in life. In each of these roles we portray different—sometimes opposite—characters. It is how we project our image to the world.
More specifically, the persona is how we wish a particular category of people to perceive us — because how you wish to be seen "at work" by your clients, peers, or juniors, might not be the same as how your friends know you "at the bar."
The same person ... plays different parts.
The Amazing Switch: The 'Persona' as a High-Performance Tool
Some people will argue that to perform differently from our 'Natural' Self is inauthentic. Fake.
It absolutely is not! It's actually about Behavioural Intelligence and it is rooted in human nature, which includes social acceptance, and gaining or maintaining status. You may also add to that a sprinkle of mirror neurons that serve either to keep us safe, or to gain in-roads into relationships where we might otherwise be seen as an 'outlier'.
Although we cannot go into detail at this level, suffice it to say that a master executive who knows how to "glide" between versions of themselves effortlessly is a master relationship builder.
Consider the "Velvet Hammer"—The Warlord archetype. This persona possesses high drive to achieve results, but filters it through tact. A strong navigator-leader.
The Hidden Cost: Your Behavioural Battery
Every time you "stretch" your behaviour away from your Natural Core to meet a role's demand, you are pulling on an Elastic Band. This is a superpower, but it is also stressful as it draws energy from your limited psychological battery.
Members of our inner circle area will learn how to manage this tension so as to perform at their peak without hitting burnout.
So if you feel ready to dive deeper into our Members' inner circle, where you should find it easier to navigate successfully between other people's shifting personalities while you yourself transition between your own personas, click here where more advanced material awaits you there.
Edutainment: Meanwhile, you may go to the Theatre where we demonstrate the DISC Behavioural Model in action as we examine your favourite Screen characters from famous movies, TV series and sitcoms, and where you may enjoy related quizzes.
Examine the behaviours of your favourite Screen characters.
Choose your Arena and begin the demonstration.
Select your next tactical move to continue exploring the parameters of your operational framework:
Visit our "Archive" where you can explore our Free Access and the Members-Only material listings. 
