In military strategy, there is a famous dictum: "No plan survives first contact with the enemy." In the same vein, in leadership, we must embrace a Sovereign reality. which is this:
What this means: You may have a perfect, logical plan. But the moment you speak to a real person, their emotions, their personality, and even their "Shadow" all enter the room. If you always remain "natural", you may often fail to connect with other people. To win, you must adapt to their nature, rather than maintaining your own at all costs.
Manipulation—for many people—is a dirty word. It’s been assigned the negative meaning of a stratagem (rather than a strategy). It came to imply hurt being caused to other people when a more appropriate meaning would be “to stack the odds right so as to achieve the desired outcome.” Let’s look at this objectively.
Imagine a game of snooker. You aren't changing the rules of the game when you are calculating how to get the cue ball in the 'right position' before you take the next shot. The equivalent of this in life is when you position yourself favourably for the moves that follow. Much like in Chess, where a Sovereign move contemplates the ripple effects several steps into the future. That is strategy, not stratagem.
To manipulate
Etymology — word origin:
English (1820s): Skilled handling by hand (used by Michael Faraday. 1827).
English (1864): We find it used as Psychological influence for one's own advantage.
literally means "to handle" from the Latin, manus: hand. The negative connotation comes when "positoining oneself favourably" is used in corrupt practices, or to disadvantage others unfairly.
Hover over below to reveal the shift from 'Natural' to 'Sovereign' behaviour.
The goal is not to lose your identity, but to expand your repertoire. A completely "Natural" leader is a prisoner to their own temperament. A Sovereign leader, on the other hand, is a master of their own instruments.
By shifting your behaviour on the Dragon Scale, you aren't being "fake." You are being effective. You are choosing the right tool for the person standing in front of you.
In your next high-stakes conversation, identify the DISC style of your counterpart. Deliberately shift your tempo, tone, or technicality to meet them where they are. Observe the "Dragon" in the room—is it breathing fire, or is it listening?
KNIGHT CLASS MEMBERSHIP
If you found the 4 Modules interesting, then you will love the depth we reserve for our Knight and Sovereign Class members.