When you attend a Situational Leadership® training session, you learn that leadership styles are neither “good” nor “bad.” In large part your degree of success as a leader is a function of the person you are attempting to influence, the task that needs to be accomplished and your ability to effectively execute the leadership style with the highest probability of success.
When you attend DiSC® training you learn that human behavior is a product of how people perceive and respond to their environment. You get a DiSC® profile based on your DiSC® assessment that provides validated insight into why you behave the way you behave. Beyond that, it provides you with valuable insight into why others behave the way they do.
Since leadership is both a complicated and thoughtful endeavor, it stands to reason that leaders will benefit from the ability to integrate tools like Situational Leadership® and DiSC®. In that regard, imagine you are a Situational Leader with a task that needs to be accomplished through a follower whose DiSC® profile suggests they are a “high i” (INFLUENCE: bold and accepting). What behaviors would a “high i” tend to exhibit at each of the four levels of Performance Readiness®, and what should you (as the leader) consider doing and not doing as you execute each of the four leadership styles?
DiSC® Style—INFLUENCE Performance Readiness® Cues and Leadership Style Responses
R1/S1
- R1—Unable but Insecure or Unwilling
- Insecure—Noticeably intimidated by the prospect of letting others down
- Unwilling—Uncharacteristically reserved and indifferent
- S1—High Task/Low Relationship Behavior
- DO—Command attention and direct focus to the task at hand; respond to questions seeking clarity on next steps; closely supervise and recognize any positive migration on task performance
- DON’T—Be afraid to usher in short-term discomfort in service of creating movement in the right direction
R2/S2
- R2—Unable and Confident/Willing
- High energy becomes a source of contagious enthusiasm for others
- S2—High Task/High Relationship Behavior
- DO—Communicate progress of the team at large; entertain questions and encourage discussion after guidance on the task has been provided; demonstrate interest in progress and provide praise
- DON’T—Ignore or miss an opportunity to openly recognize effort, improvement or results achieved
R3/S3
- R3—Able but Insecure or Unwilling
- Insecure—Impulsively manufactures unrealistic outcomes; prefers “talking things through” to actually “doing them”
- Unwilling—Reluctant, unresponsive and noticeably apathetic
- S3—High Relationship/Low Task Behavior
- DO—Ask questions to uncover the root cause of the anxiety, insecurity or lack of motivation; bring conversation back to actions they will take and the timeframe in which they will take them; listen intently and document
- DON’T—Feel the need to rush the conversation or dismiss the narrative being shared; feel the need to agree with the perspective being shared
R4/S4
- R4—Able and Confident/Willing
- Lively, outgoing and passionate; encourages others to follow suit
- S4—Low Relationship/Low Task
- DO—Provide them with a platform to be an ambassador of performance; provide an opportunity for them to actively mentor others; follow up and reinforce success regularly
- DON’T—Think periodic recognition and appreciation for something they have mastered ever gets old
