
DiSC Assessment
The DiSC assessment (DiSC is an acronym for four leadership styles) is a measure of my leadership type on four different dimensions: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientious. There are two primary benefits of the DiSC assessment:
First, the DiSC assessment allows individuals to identify and compare their leadership styles. This provides a baseline for further conversation regarding group dynamics.
Secondly, the DiSC assessment provides a framework for intentionally assembling teams of individuals with complementary leadership styles in order to reduce friction and conflict.
The image below provides a useful example of how the DiSC assessment can work in real life. In this example, you are attempting to recruit individuals with different leadership styles to embrace your vision for a project and join your team to accomplish that vision. Because you understand each individual's DiSC leadership style, you are better able to adjust your wording to appeal to each of them individually.

Of course, individuals do not fit neatly into just one of four categories. Instead, most individuals demonstrate aspects of all four of these DiSC leadership styles. For this reason, the DiSC assessment has a robust method of determining primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary leadership styles. The images below show possible outcomes of the assessment (note that the important thing is the relative rankings of all four leadership styles).
I have taken the DiSC assessment test twice, and scored highly on both Dominance and Conscientious styles. Because my Dominance and Conscientious leadership styles were almost equal, this places me in the "Creative" category (see far right image under "D Profile Patterns" below).

Here is a sampling of profile patterns for individuals who score highly on the Conscientious leadership style:

The DiSC assessment is an extremely valuable and useful tool, because it gives me practical insight into how to lead others. Everyone has some level of each of the four basic types, and the DiSC makes it clear how those differences can be used constructively on a team. An optimal team will have at least one member from each of the four DiSC leadership types.

You can read an overview of the Conscientious Leadership Style below:

If this seems interesting to you, I highly recommend that you take a DiSC assessment for yourself. While you can purchase an online test at this link, you may have free access to a DiSC assessment through your employer or an organization of which you are a member.
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