DiSC in Action – Being Easy to Work With (when your leader is a “Dominant”)

So, you’ve read your leader as a “D.” And, you want them to read last week’s post.  Of course you do.

But – things go better when we work to adapt ourselves, rather than trying to force others to change.  In fact, our adaptation can inspire others to change. (Have you read Leadership and Self-Deception yet?)

Consider this as a goal: Be easy to work with.  More opportunities come along that way.  Something we’ve seen is that the world seems to work better for people who are punctual, deliver on time, respond to communication quickly, are pleasant, and exceed expectations.

So — how to do that with your “Dominant” leader, who cares about results, action, and challenge? Match their style and their needs.

Consider keeping these things in mind:

-Keep emails short and necessary (and resist getting offended when they don’t respond with a “thanks” or “okay”).

-Meet and exceed all deadlines, and avoid excuses; work to solve problems/obstacles on your own.

-Join with them in seeking challenge – AND in challenging them, in a respectful way, when appropriate.  The mature “D” leader respects and appreciates directness, even when directed at them.

-When working, strip emotion and backstories from your conversations.  It can make them impatient.

While it is probably true that they need to work on saying “thanks” or listening to backstories, it isn’t your task today to change and develop them.  But, you can give them room to do that work on their own when you stay easy to work with.

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