DISC Patterns Explained – Elevated ISC Pattern
Individuals whose assessment results depict an Elevated I, S & C factors (and comparatively lower d) generally exhibit these tendencies:
Individuals with Elevated I, S & C factors exhibit a low dominance factor, which means that they are not very likely to be assertive or demanding. Rather, these individuals try to influence others through communication and thoughtful persuasion, especially using rational discussion and logical reasoning. Individuals with this pattern are very persuasive because they are social, thoughtful, and know the rules of engagement and how people in their social and professional life expect them to behave. Building strong relationships with others is essential to this personality type and they work well in teams or group settings.
This individual relates easily to others because they are friendly, social, and outgoing. In a social setting, this is the type of individual who will try hard to make sure everyone is happy and will listen attentively to all. In a family, think of someone who everyone loves because they are thoughtful, kind, patient and considerate. They have a way about them with words and always know just what to say to make people be the best they can be. Also, teamwork and cooperation are very high on the value list of this individual, because of their elevated influence factor.
In family and social situations, this is the type of individual who organizes the reunions and spends time going over the implications of the seating arrangements at weddings. They are thoughtful about relationships at an extremely deep level. The combination of these three factors allows for a rational view of how to influence in most situations and allows the individual to be very aware of how others are responding to their ideas.
The steadiness factor allows the individual to maintain active listening skills and the patience necessary for dealing with group matters.
As I said before, Elevated ISC individuals try to influence others through communication and thoughtful persuasion which means that they are not very likely to be assertive or demanding. Unfortunately, the lower Dominance factor ranking also means that they will not push when conflict arises. They will tend to back off when temperatures rise, preferring to let things settle down. Once settled, they will try to remind people to let cooler heads prevail. Sometimes this type of reconciliation comes too late because stronger personalities, those with much more elevated Dominance factors, win out. When this happens, they take relevant options away from the group or this individual. Over time, if a more dominant person consistently overrides the Elevated ISC’s views, this will have two potential effects:
1. It might erode the person’s confidence in their abilities to move a team along in a logical fashion. They might become frustrated at having to constantly reiterate a logical and rational path forward. Because of their lower Dominance score, they tend not to like the leadership role so this will cause stress.
2. If they are constantly thwarted by a team member with higher Dominance characteristics, they may choose to disengage or in extreme circumstances, leave the team altogether rather than constantly battling with the elevated Dominance personality.
3. And finally, if their Steadiness factor is much greater than their Dominance factor – where the spreads are the most significant of their associated sub-factors – then their patience will ensure that they take adequate time to sort through the situation and they will be patient and make sure that a satisfactory conclusion is reached. Not doing so would cause them more stress than not dealing effectively with the issue.
One such person who demonstrated his use of Elevated I, S, and C factors working in harmony for the greater good is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King persuaded people through his thoughtfulness and his exemplary oratory skills. In his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech King spoke to end racial segregation and racial discrimination. Most people only know the words that came at the end of the speech.
The memorable words that said: “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” These words are indeed beautiful and memorable but Dr. King’s entire speech was thoughtful and was a call to action to end injustice. He knew that he words could carry an enormous amount of weight if he chose them well.
Dr. King did not do this by being a demanding tyrant; he used his inherent behavioral characteristics and was authentic in the delivery of his message. He used reasoning and wanted to stimulate action and discussion across the nation. Dr. King spent a tremendous amount of time thinking of the precise words he would use making certain his speeches hit their mark. He gained support and called for civil disobedience and nonviolent means of ending racial segregation. Dr. King was highly effective because he aligned with all aspects of his governing sub-factors – patience, friendliness, and cooperativeness. He called up the influencing tactics, diplomatic means, and policies he believed would prevail. Plus, he realized that he was weak in certain areas – one being the fact that he was not elevated in the Dominance factor.
This meant he had to dial up his sense of urgency and find a way to bring people together but in one where he felt comfortable.
In this regard he used these words to insist that people take action immediately: “It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment, and these words to make sure that his elevated Compliance – his need to make sure his followers stayed within society’s rules and norms were met: “But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds.
Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.”
And finally, Dr. Martin Luther King used these words to make sure that people had patience and fortitude for the long haul: “And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back.”
Elevated ISC Patterns are Motivated by:
Furthering personal interests that are in line with what they care about and in making sure they maintain good relationships with others would share their interests and those who think deeply about issues. Motivation should be developed around keeping this person content and happy by placing them in a team or social environment to get their work done. In ideal situations, this type of individual will work shine in a highly cooperative and collaborative team environment. When working, this individual needs certainty about their position and what they are trying to accomplish. Often people with this pattern will look at the expectations set for others in comparison to themselves. This person does not appreciate others being held to different standards and will not work effectively if they find this out. Sureness about the social aspects of their job is one of the most important motivating factors for this individual.
King did not want justice and desegregation for just himself and his family, he wanted it for all African Americans and all people in the United States of America. Although King was very ambitious, his goals were not for himself, but for the country and its citizens as a whole. King knew that if he could gain support and affect American socially, a change would happen. He knew that if he impacted people and held fast to his beliefs and acts, he could achieve his goals.
Possible Weaknesses for an Elevated ISC Pattern:
Being low in the dominant factor, this individual may have a hard time asserting themselves in their career and advancing into higher positions of authority. People with this pattern typically remain steady, lack the ambition to advance in their career and rarely set specific goals for themselves. Without setting goals, this person will find it hard to further their career. This individual finds it hard to get tasks done without any communication with other people and they can sometimes be morphed by a more dominant boss and made to do their boss’ work. Plus, as we mentioned, these individuals, because of their lower Dominance factor, might choose to walk away from conflict or not fight for their ideas or go up against more dominant individuals.
Another individual who uses her ISC factors is Audrey Hepburn.
She used her war-time experiences growing up and her fame to become a humanitarian and attempted to help disadvantaged communities after her film career. She was appointed the Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) where she had the platform to speak out as an agent of transformation to help legislatures across the world adjust their laws to help those in need. In this regard, she took advantage of her Elevated Compliance factor and used its strength to change policies worldwide. Audrey Hepburn spent many years volunteering her time in impoverished countries. She used her Steadiness and Influence to push through the difficult times in order to help others.
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HELLEN DAVIS
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