DISC, Changing Course, and the Resilient Leader
One of the things I've learned about leadership is that you don't really know how you'll respond to change until you're in the middle of it. When everything is going according to plan, leadership can seem pretty straightforward. But when something unexpected happens, our natural tendencies begin to show.
That's one reason I've found DISC assessments useful over the years. DISC gives us a way to better understand how we naturally communicate, make decisions, respond to challenges, and interact with other people. It can help us recognize that the way we respond to a situation isn't necessarily the way someone else will respond.
Think about what happens when a project suddenly changes direction. One person may want to make a decision immediately and get everyone moving. Another may want to stop and gather more information before doing anything. Someone else may be most concerned about how the change is affecting the people on the team, while another person may simply need some time to process what has happened.
None of those responses is necessarily wrong. They're simply different.
The challenge for leaders is that we often assume other people should respond the way we do. If we're naturally decisive, we may become frustrated with someone who needs more time. If we're someone who likes to gather all the facts, we may wonder why another person wants to act before everything is known. Understanding behavioral differences can help us recognize that what looks like resistance, indecision, or impatience may simply be someone else's natural way of dealing with change.
That's where resilience and adaptability come together.
Resilient leadership isn't just about taking a hit and continuing to move forward. It's also about recognizing when the situation requires us to change how we're leading. Sometimes the best response is to make a quick decision. Other times, it's to slow down and listen. Sometimes people need direction, while at other times they need reassurance.
The key is knowing yourself well enough to recognize your natural response and then being willing to adjust it when the situation calls for something different.
I've come to believe that this is one of the most important parts of leadership.
Self-awareness tells you where you naturally want to go. Adaptability allows you to choose the direction the situation actually requires.
Life and leadership rarely follow the course we originally planned. The people we lead don't always respond the way we expect, and circumstances don't always cooperate with our plans. But when we understand ourselves and make the effort to understand others, we're better prepared to navigate those unexpected turns.
Sometimes changing course isn't a setback; it's simply what leadership requires.
Heather Matthews, President CYC International |
