What are the different DISC leadership styles?

Hiring leaders based on their technical skills and knowledge simply isn’t enough. You must evaluate their personality traits, behaviors, and leadership styles, ensuring that they align with your company’s culture and working practices. 

Otherwise, you could end up hiring a highly authoritarian personality to lead a team that’s used to transparency and collaboration. This could foster resentment among team members and ultimately disrupt company success.  

The DISC personality assessment provides powerful insights into an individual’s core styles and preferences. It’s being used increasingly in recruitment and development as more employers adopt skills-based hiring. 

In this guide, we look at 12 DISC leadership styles, diving into the strengths and limitations of each. We also discuss how to support each type in realizing their full potential, regardless of their default attributes. 

What is the DISC personality assessment? 

The DISC personality assessment determines a respondent's “personality type” by asking them to rank a series of statements based on how much they agree or disagree. The results help employers understand their current and future employees’ behavioral traits and working styles.

DISC categorizes individuals into four primary personality types: 

• Dominance (D): Confident, direct, and results-orientated

• Influence (I): Persuasive, outgoing, and enjoy building relationships 

• Steadiness (S): Patient, reliable, and value stability and cooperation 

• Conscientiousness (C): Detail-oriented, analytical, and focused on accuracy and precision

You can use DISC during your hiring and selection process or as part of your professional development program for existing employees. 

12 DISC leadership styles 

While some individuals fit into a single DISC style, for instance, “High Dominant,” others might be a combination of two adjacent styles on the DISC chart, such as “Influential/Steady.” 

Leaders who take the DISC test can have 12 possible DISC personality types, and we explore their leadership qualities below.

1. High Dominant style 

These leaders tend to be confident and assertive in their approach to work and communication. They’re highly goal-oriented and driven to succeed, often setting the same high standards for their teams. 

Strengths

• Inspire and motivate others to succeed

• Make decisions quickly and effectively 

• Take charge and drive their teams through change

Limitations

• Can be overly demanding and controlling 

• May lack empathy and patience with team members

• Tend to struggle with cooperation

Leadership coaching

Support them in building empathy and emotional intelligence to better connect with their employees. Also, consider team-building workshops that enhance their ability to delegate, empower, and collaborate with team members. 

2. Dominant/Influential style 

Leaders with this style are not just results-oriented but also enthusiastic about influencing others. They’re confident and assertive in their communications and seek opportunities to perform well. 

Strengths

• Can inspire and mobilize teams to perform 

• Excel in negotiations 

• Work well in teams and are good agents for change

Limitations

• Can be overpowering and neglect others’ opinions

• Take it as a personal failure if their viewpoint doesn’t prevail

• Lose interest in slow-paced projects and detail orientation

Leadership coaching

Promote active listening, encouraging them to understand others' ideas and suggestions. Additionally, break long-term projects down into smaller chunks, helping them develop patience and stay driven in achieving milestones. 

3. Dominant/Conscientious style

They’re determined to achieve high standards—even perfectionism—through thoroughness and detail orientation. These leaders prioritize accuracy and facts and take a logical approach in their communications.

Strengths

• Known for producing high-quality work 

• Excellent at planning projects and tasks

• Good at implementing processes and generating results 

Limitations

• Can be impatient with mistakes and inefficiencies 

• Tend to micromanage team members

• May struggle to stick to deadlines in their quest for perfectionism

Leadership coaching

Support them in setting realistic expectations for themselves and their teams and encourage better time management and prioritization. Also, help them effectively delegate tasks, stay patient, and establish trust in their employees. 

4. High Influential style

Leaders whose DISC results show a High Influential style like to focus on cultivating strong relationships and coordination within teams. Outgoing and charismatic, they prioritize open communication and freedom of expression. 

Strengths

• Excellent at building synchronized teams

• Foster a positive work culture

• Good at persuading and motivating others

Limitations

• Can find it challenging to stay objective 

• Afraid of their values being rejected

• Overly optimistic, sometimes over-committing and under-delivering

Leadership coaching

The best way to coach these leaders is by helping them to establish boundaries with coworkers and subordinates. Further, help them set clear and realistic priorities and follow through with their projects. 

5. Influential/Dominant style

These leaders love setting ambitious goals and using their charisma to get others on board. They like to make the most of every opportunity and are comfortable working in high-risk and non-conventional environments. 

Strengths

• Highly motivating and inspiring 

• Tend to work well under pressure

• Effective at driving teams through change  

Limitations

• Can come across as overbearing or pushy

• They’re not always the best listeners

• Are sometimes impulsive and get bored with consistency 

Leadership coaching

Coaching strategies must include developing self-awareness, empathy, and patience, with employees. Additionally, work on goal-setting and mindfulness, helping to mitigate the tendency to be impulsive. 

6. Influential/Steady style

Highly sociable, empathetic, and personable, these leaders are known to be approachable and easy to communicate with. They also tend to go above and beyond to support team members who are struggling.

Strengths

• Build trust in teams and are good at mediation   

• Excellent at collaborating and building collaborative teams 

• Can boost company morale and uncover high-potential talent

Limitations

• Struggle with assertiveness and making difficult decisions

• Tend to avoid conflicts and confrontation

• Find it difficult to provide criticism or feedback to employees

Leadership coaching

Provide them with tools and frameworks that take the emotion out of decision-making. Further, consider offering coaching in effective feedback and managing difficult conversations. 

7. High Steady style

Primarily peacekeepers, High Steady style leaders value cooperation and modesty and tend to go the extra mile to help their employees.  

Strengths

• Demonstrate and inspire consistently high performance

• Build and maintain stable workplaces

• Foster a culture of collaboration and mutual support 

Limitations

• Often look for external validation, draining their own confidence

• Excessively rely on employees’ opinions, resulting in slow decision-making

• Sometimes downplay their own needs, leading to resentment or burnout

Leadership coaching

Encourage regular self-assessments, helping these leaders identify their own needs, strengths, and accomplishments. Also, help them establish boundaries with their employees while still offering support.  

8. Steady/Influential style

If you’re dealing with a Steady/Influential style leader, expect an empathetic and compassionate individual who is generous with their time and resources when it concerns supporting their employees. 

Strengths

• Lead with patience, optimism, and kindness

• Excellent at building team chemistry

• Ensure that everyone in the team is heard 

Limitations

• Prioritize personal connections over company success

• Avoid conflicts at all costs 

• Struggle with direct communication, often beating around the bush

Leadership coaching

Regularly reiterate the company’s mission, encouraging them to consider organizational objectives when making decisions. Communication skills and conflict management coaching can also help these leaders improve in these areas.   

9. Steady/Conscientious style

These soft-spoken leaders tend to be diplomatic in their approach to team management and hold all their employees to the same standard. They value predictability and want to get the job done in peace and with accuracy. 

Strengths

• Stable and produce high-quality work 

• Impressive self-control diffuses conflict

• Good at establishing objectives and guiding employees to accomplish them 

Limitations

• Prefer following the lead rather than leading teams 

• Don’t deal well with change and uncertainty 

• Thoughtful to a fault and avoid making demands 

Leadership coaching

Put them through a holistic leadership coaching program, supporting them in finding a balance between being helpful and assertive. Additionally, provide training on effective change management to help them cope with and lead their teams through change.  

10. High Conscientious style

Leaders who fall into this style of the DISC assessment are task- and detail-oriented and work in a logical, methodical manner. They love to learn and often set high quality and accuracy standards for themselves and their employees. 

Strengths

• Tend to be experts in several fields

• Excellent at strategic planning and analytical thinking

• Are highly productive and accurate in work 

Limitations

• Can lose creativity in the process of chasing accuracy 

• Struggle with understanding employees’ feelings 

• Often set unreasonable performance standards

Leadership coaching

Teach these leaders creative brainstorming techniques, such as mind-mapping. Also, help them set realistic expectations and work on their empathy and ability to provide constructive criticism. 

11. Conscientious/Steady style

Leaders with this behavior style approach work and task assignments in a clear and methodological way. They value stability and dislike disorder and change in their environment.  

Strengths

• Excel at maintaining order and adhering to regulations

• Lead with a calm and systematic approach 

• Detail-oriented and make fewer mistakes 

Limitations

• Tend to be rigid and inflexible

• Afraid of taking risks, a common part of leadership

• Struggle with navigating emotionally charged situations

Leadership coaching

Encourage practicing mindfulness to help them live in the present and become open-minded and flexible. Teach them change management techniques that can help them navigate organizational changes more effectively.

12. Conscientious/Dominant style

Leaders who possess this style combination are highly analytical, assertive, and detail-oriented. They set high standards of performance for themselves and expect the same from their teams.  

Strengths

• Boost team productivity  

• Results-oriented and can be relied on to get the work done

• Challenge the status quo and make rational decisions

Limitations

• Can be strict, often alienating employees

• Impose their high standards on others 

• Tend to exercise control rather than collaborate 

Leadership coaching

Use employee feedback and self-assessment tools to help these leaders realize how their behavior affects their team. Encourage them to actively seek input and ideas from their employees and involve them in decision-making. 

Which DISC style is best for leadership? 

There’s no single best DISC leadership profile. That being said, certain DISC profiles make for better leaders depending on factors such as the nature of the work, types of employees they’re dealing with, company working practices, and so on. Here are some examples. 

• Dominant/Conscientious style leaders may excel in the manufacturing industry where they can drive workers to achieve high standards and focus on quality control and process improvement. 

• Leaders with a High Conscientious style are analytical and prioritize accuracy, making them well suited to lead in the healthcare space. Their precision and attention-to-detail can help contribute to patient safety and compliance. 

• Dominant/Influential style leaders thrive in the startup world. Their goal-orientation and enthusiasm can help to motivate smaller teams and persuade investors to fund new ideas. 

• Those with Influential/Steady leadership styles have high emotional intelligence and the ability to support team members. These qualities are great for leading companies with more millennial and Gen Z employees who place high value on emotional well-being and support.

• High Dominant style leaders are results-driven, self-motivated, and work well independently. In a fully remote environment, they can set clear goals and objectives for their employees and drive them to achieve results without the need for constant supervision. 

In this way, different DISC leadership profiles are best suited to different circumstances. Each DISC profile has its pros and cons and each leader can be coached into developing and improving their leadership styles. 

Assessing DISC leadership styles with TestGorilla 

You could recruit or promote a highly skilled and knowledgeable candidate for a leadership role, and they might still fail if they’re not aligned with your company’s culture and employees. DISC assessments can not only provide insights into candidates’ leadership styles but also suggest how to develop existing leaders. 

You can easily roll out a DISC assessment through TestGorilla. The best part? In addition to DISC and other personality tests, TestGorilla offers hundreds of role-specific skills tests, cognitive ability assessments, and situational judgment tests, among others. To avoid paying separately for your DISC test, sign up for a free trial today.

Book a free 30-minute live demo to explore how you can use DISC and other pre-employment tests today.