One of the most exciting things about the different DISC personality styles is that people are not necessarily loyal to their primary style but can project a style they feel is necessary for a given position or situation. Especially when they consider other people expect this of them, just like a mask. Of course, in some cases, there is no significant difference between what a person is by nature and what is expected of him or her in public.
The example that best describes this phenomenon for me is that of a salesperson who, by nature, is stable (S) or compliant (C). Remember that these are not friendly people by heart; instead, they prefer tranquility and do not expose themselves to others. The issue is that to sell a product, in many cases, we need to interact with people and influence or motivate them, which means a high degree of communication.
Naturally, these people need help to execute this job. Nevertheless, I know great salespeople who can put on their hat (or mask if we want) of influencers (I) and go out to obtain clients. I also know speakers and teachers who are compliant (C) and even feel uncomfortable being in the presence of many people or at social events. However, no one can believe they are not natural influentials (I) when they must present something they like. They almost look like another person.
I once met the manager of a corporation when I was on a business trip in Latin America. He invited me to his house for dinner with his family. I was astonished to see that in this environment (his natural condition), he behaved like a mild and empathetic husband, clearly concerned, above all else, with the well-being of his family; the description of a perfect stable (S) isn’t. This was a very different profile from the dominant (D) he exhibited in the company and, in fact, the one I knew of him. He needed to adapt to this profile since the environment forced him. After all, he spent all day dealing with people with complicated characters or leading teams that needed constant motivation. However, that differed from his standard.
With this, I don’t want to motivate people not to be as they are. I actually think this is not possible. But I want to break down a typical barrier that I hear every day: “I don’t have what it takes to do such a thing. My personality doesn’t allow me.” With this article, I hope to imply that adapting ourselves to any situation is always possible. Putting that mask on daily might be exhausting, but it can be done. What do you think about this? Do you feel you do that? Leave some comments below!!
If you want to learn more about DISC or find out your style, don’t hesitate to message me via the web or schedule a call for some coaching.
Alexander Martinez
